India vs West Indies 1st Test: Preview and Predictions

Cricket

India vs West Indies: India will be touring the Caribbean Islands after a haul of 4 years under the new captainship of Rohit Sharma. India is ranked 1 in the Test format and West Indies is 8th. Both teams are going through some rough patch. India recently lost the WTC (World Test Championship) final against Australia whereas West Indies failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup. Teams will like to make a fresh new start from this series. India will be entering the tournament with many new faces, the team includes 3 debutants. This will be a 2-Test series and the matches will take place in Windsor Park Dominica and Queen’s Park Oval.

The first Test India vs West Indies will take place on 12th July 2023 at Windsor Park, Dominica.

Match Details to Note

Match: India vs West Indies Test

Date: July 12, 2023 (Wednesday)

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Windsor Park, Dominica

India vs West Indies

India (Match Odds- 1.32)

Preview

Cheteshwar Pujara is absent from the squad which created space for players like Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ruturaj Gaikwad to debut for India. India might also change the batting order, in a practice patch we saw Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal opening the innings and Shubman Gill filling the position of Cheteshwar Pujara. The solid Virat-Rahane duo will be continuing their dominance in the West Indies. Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav will also be missing and new talents will fill their positions.

Full Squad:

Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli & Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan & KS Bharat, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja & Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar & Navdeep Saini

Players to watch out for:

Virat Kohli

After a mediocre performance in the Test World Cup finals, Virat will be hoping to get back his form. Virat has an average of 35 runs against the West Indies and he will definitely increase that record. Indian fans might witness a firey performance from Virat in the Caribbean.

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj is a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways and his aggressive bowling style. He made his Test debut for India in 2018 and has since become a regular member of the team. Siraj will be the player to look out for.

Possible Playing XI:

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli & Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin & Shardul Thakur, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat & Mohammed Siraj

West Indies (Match Odds- 8.10)

Preview

The starting 11 for West Indies will feature a number of new players. Tagenarine Chanderpaul and captain Kraigg Brathwaite ought to start the batting order together. While Kirk McKenzie, Jermaine Blackwood, and Raymond Riefer ought to adhere to them. Joshua De Silva continues to be West Indies’ top choice for wicket-keeper.

Raheem Cornwall, a spin-bowling all-rounder, should have a chance given the spin-friendly conditions. Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jason Holder, a fast all-rounder, and the spinners Jomel Warrican and Rakheem Cornwall should make up the overall bowling assault.

Full Squad

Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Jermaine Blackwood (VC), Joshua Da Silva (WK), Alick Athanaze, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Jomel Warrican.

Players to watch out for:

Kraigg Brathwaite

The West Indian Test skipper has recently been his team’s top batsman. More than 5,000 Test runs have been scored by the opener since his debut against Pakistan in 2011. He also hit 12 centuries and 28 fifties throughout this time. Despite his underwhelming performances in the previous South Africa series, Brathwaite, who is renowned for his patience at the crease, will be a challenging wicket to take.

Kemar Roach

Given that he has taken over 260 Test wickets since making his debut in 2009 against Bangladesh, Kemar Roach is already regarded as a legend among the current crop of West Indian athletes. He had a strong start in Test cricket, taking 13 wickets in his first two matches, but his subsequent career has been stop-start. Although he may have passed his prime at age 35, he still leads the bowling attack, recording a five-for in the first Test against South Africa in March.

Possible Playing XI:

Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Raymond Reifer, Jermaine Blackwood, Kirk McKenzie, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Rahkeem Cornwall, Jason Holder, Jomel Warrican, Alzarri Joseph & Kemar Roac

India vs West Indies Head to Head

West Indies is ahead of India in the head-to-head stats, the record is 30-22. Though West Indies is looking stronger according to the stats they have not won a single test since 2002.

India vs West Indies Toss Prediction

The team that wins the toss might choose to bat first and score high runs in the first Innings. The field favors the bowlers more than the batsmen.

India vs West Indies Pitch Report

The Windsor Park pitch is more suited to bowlers than to batters. Because of the pitch’s turn and bounce, spinners will be crucial to the outcome of the game. Certainly, the chances of success are higher for batters who can effectively counter-spin. The average score in the first innings for teams that win the toss is 249 points.

India vs West Indies Match Prediction

The team of Rohit Sharma is entering the series coming off a humiliating loss to the World Champions, Australia, which abruptly brought the 2023 WTC Cycle to an end. The Men in Blue have been working hard lately, and they don’t want the new WTC Cycle to start off in a losing manner. As a result, we think Rohit Sharma’s team will prevail in the next match.

India is predicted to win the game with an odds of 1.32.