West Indies is India to play short Test Series (of 2 test matches), 5 ODI and 2 T20. West Indies were in India for a Test Series in 2011 too just before India left for Australia. Hope all remember the painful drubbing (4-0) India got at the hand of Australia during that series. Before that Series Aussies were not doing well and even drew their home series 1-1 against their neighbors New Zealand. Everybody were expecting India to do well and win the series despite drubbing received (4-0) few months back in England. But what turned out to be eventually was this, was the last series for the Wall (Rahul Dravid) and VVS (Very Very Special Laxman). Also this was the series that defined Virat Kohli in the test arena after the couple of Initial failures.
Now coming to this series, India will be soon travelling to Aus for a 4 test series and this time too they got 4-1 drubbing in England. I would look at this result more positively (compared to 2011) result. India were well within a chance to win 2 test and draw the last test and the scoreline could have been totally different. India were let down in the spinner department and if one more batsmen had played along with Kohli, India would have worn that series.
While it is expected for India to win this Windies series 2-0, I feel Windies are not a push over.
Their bowling attack is good despite Kemar Roach will be missing for the first test. Windies Squad for test series has good fast bowler in Shanon Gabriel, Jason Holder and good spin attack in Devendra Bishoo and all-rounder Roston Chase. Their batting also look much better compared to couple of years back with decent performances in England, and home season. Kraigg Brathwite, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Kieran Powell, and Shane Dowrich (Wicket Keeper) are all solid player and less flamboyant. Expect them to give tough fight to India.
India will have new opening batsmen for sure, and I am propose new opening bowler too :), in my proposed lineup
My Proposed squad for this 2 test series (not just for first test) is,
Opening Batsmen
K.L Rahul
Between Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw, I would like to go with Mayank Agarwal because of his consistency and his current form
Middle Order
Selects them selves with no alternative available at number 3 and 4 - Pujara and Kohli
For number it will be Ajinkya Rahane
I would not go with 6th batsmen for this series, and would like to go with 5 bowlers, reason is we should play 3 spinners in this series. More reason given below.
Wicket Keeper
Rishabh Pant
Pace Attack
Umesh Yadav more suited for Indian pitches
I would like Mohamed Shami to be rested from the Test series and instead played in the ODI series, as I see him as backup fast bowling attack for World cup with other people so far who have been tried are below average. I would like us to try out Mohammed Siraj based on his current form and may be this might help him to stake claim for the Aus series as the 5th fast bowler and may be build his confidence to get into World cup squad too. Siraj has been tried in few T20 matches, where he has not done well and may be good performance in these test matches will give him the confidence to do well in the shorter format
Spin bowlers
I am of the opinion of that basted on performance shown by Ashwin, he has played his last test in overseas condition. He has already gone twice to Australia and has not any improvement to bowl well in overseas conditions like England, Australia, South Africa. He has had enough overseas exposure to tune his bowling for these conditions, but so far not shown any improvement in these conditions. His batting also does not that well in these conditions and his fielding is anyway below average, hence for me Ashwin cannot be part of the spin attack in overseas condition
Ravindra Jadeja - cannot be a attacking option in overseas condition specifically in the till day 3 of the test matches. But he is much better fielder and batsmen than Ashwin in these conditions, and if given a choice will play him instead of Ashwin
Now coming to one of the key ingridients for winning overseas series and in Australia, we need good spinner who can bowl well in flat conditions, and this means we need a good leg spinner. Kuldeep Yadav fits that bill. But we have not see Kuldeep Yadav bowling 25-30 overs in a day in test matches (he has played 3 test matches, but not bowled so many overs). So in this Windies series, I would like us to play Kuldeep and make him bowl 25-30 overs and check out is performance and prepare him to that spin option for Aussie series
Let me know your views about this squad.
Now coming to this series, India will be soon travelling to Aus for a 4 test series and this time too they got 4-1 drubbing in England. I would look at this result more positively (compared to 2011) result. India were well within a chance to win 2 test and draw the last test and the scoreline could have been totally different. India were let down in the spinner department and if one more batsmen had played along with Kohli, India would have worn that series.
While it is expected for India to win this Windies series 2-0, I feel Windies are not a push over.
Their bowling attack is good despite Kemar Roach will be missing for the first test. Windies Squad for test series has good fast bowler in Shanon Gabriel, Jason Holder and good spin attack in Devendra Bishoo and all-rounder Roston Chase. Their batting also look much better compared to couple of years back with decent performances in England, and home season. Kraigg Brathwite, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Kieran Powell, and Shane Dowrich (Wicket Keeper) are all solid player and less flamboyant. Expect them to give tough fight to India.
India will have new opening batsmen for sure, and I am propose new opening bowler too :), in my proposed lineup
My Proposed squad for this 2 test series (not just for first test) is,
Opening Batsmen
K.L Rahul
Between Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw, I would like to go with Mayank Agarwal because of his consistency and his current form
Middle Order
Selects them selves with no alternative available at number 3 and 4 - Pujara and Kohli
For number it will be Ajinkya Rahane
I would not go with 6th batsmen for this series, and would like to go with 5 bowlers, reason is we should play 3 spinners in this series. More reason given below.
Wicket Keeper
Rishabh Pant
Pace Attack
Umesh Yadav more suited for Indian pitches
I would like Mohamed Shami to be rested from the Test series and instead played in the ODI series, as I see him as backup fast bowling attack for World cup with other people so far who have been tried are below average. I would like us to try out Mohammed Siraj based on his current form and may be this might help him to stake claim for the Aus series as the 5th fast bowler and may be build his confidence to get into World cup squad too. Siraj has been tried in few T20 matches, where he has not done well and may be good performance in these test matches will give him the confidence to do well in the shorter format
Spin bowlers
I am of the opinion of that basted on performance shown by Ashwin, he has played his last test in overseas condition. He has already gone twice to Australia and has not any improvement to bowl well in overseas conditions like England, Australia, South Africa. He has had enough overseas exposure to tune his bowling for these conditions, but so far not shown any improvement in these conditions. His batting also does not that well in these conditions and his fielding is anyway below average, hence for me Ashwin cannot be part of the spin attack in overseas condition
Ravindra Jadeja - cannot be a attacking option in overseas condition specifically in the till day 3 of the test matches. But he is much better fielder and batsmen than Ashwin in these conditions, and if given a choice will play him instead of Ashwin
Now coming to one of the key ingridients for winning overseas series and in Australia, we need good spinner who can bowl well in flat conditions, and this means we need a good leg spinner. Kuldeep Yadav fits that bill. But we have not see Kuldeep Yadav bowling 25-30 overs in a day in test matches (he has played 3 test matches, but not bowled so many overs). So in this Windies series, I would like us to play Kuldeep and make him bowl 25-30 overs and check out is performance and prepare him to that spin option for Aussie series
Let me know your views about this squad.
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