WI vs IND 1st Test Match Prediction

WI vs IND Team Previews

West Indies

West Indies has named 13 players for the first Test. These include some experienced and well-known names like Kraigg Brathwaite, Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, and some players still finding their feet in international cricket like Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Jomel Warrican, and Alick Athanaze. 

The strength of the West Indian team is clearly its bowling lineup. Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, and perhaps Rakheem Cornwall should all be in the lineup for this match. The Duke's cricket ball offers a lot of swing and seam that will make Roach a real threat. 

He is the player that everyone is going to watch out for. Jomel Warrican is in the squad but we don't see him playing this match unless the wicket is looking really spin-friendly. 

The batting is dependent enormously on Kraigg Brathwaite. He is the only player from the West Indian camp that has scored runs regularly against most of the top Test teams around the world. Jermaine Blackwood, da Silva, and Tagenarine Chanderpaul will need to step up their game to try and compete. 

There is also a lot of positive talk about Alick Athanaze but since he is yet to actually Test cricket, we will reserve our judgement. 

India

India was beaten comprehensively by Australia in the WTC Final. It was a performance where the Indian batters were left embarrassed and the bowling looked out of energy. This is why India has a number of young faces in its Test squad. 

Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Yashasvi Jaiswal all find a place in the squad. The fast-bowling unit is also quite inexperienced with Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, and Jaydev Unadkat being included. The onus of leading the attack will fall on Mohammad Siraj. India's spin department is world-class thanks to the presence of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Pitches in the West Indies have been helpful for the spinners in the recent past and that could bring both Ashwin and Jadeja to the forefront. 

It will be interesting to see how India picks its lineup for this match. We think Jaiswal will make his debut at number three and Ishan Kishan might get a chance in place of Srikar Bharat at number 6. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane ensure there is more than enough experience in the lineup but all three of them need some runs.

Rahane played well in the WTC but that was his comeback game. India is now clearly moving on from its Test lineup and the senior players will be under pressure.