3 things to look forward to in the 1st India vs West Indies Test ft. KL Rahul's home record

India will continue their quest for World Test Championship points when they lock horns with the West Indies in a two-match series. The first Test will commence on Thursday, October 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Shubman Gill and Co. are on the back of an enthralling five-Test rubber against England, which finished all square. Playing an exciting brand of cricket under the new captain and coach, India will be keen on righting the wrongs of their last home series, which was a miserable whitewash at the hands of New Zealand.

India's squad for the Test series vs West Indies: Shubman Gill (c), Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), N. Jagadeesan (wk), Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

West Indies' squad for the Test series vs India: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope (wk), Tevin Imlach (wk), Johann Layne, Jediah Blades, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales.

On that note, here are three things to look forward to in the first Test between India and the West Indies.

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#3 Can KL Rahul set his home record straight?

India A Vs Australia A Second Four-Day Unofficial Test In Lucknow - Source: Getty

KL Rahul has played a number of sensational knocks for India in overseas conditions, but he hasn't quite cracked the code at home. Last week, the classy batter recorded his first red-ball hundred on home soil since his brilliant 199 against England back in 2016.

Rahul averages 39.62 over 20 Tests in India, and that - like his Test average of 35.41 - doesn't do justice to the caliber of batter he is. Now opening the batting following a brilliant tour of England, he can be expected to have a prolific series against the West Indies.

Rahul's task won't be easy against Jayden Seales and the Windies spinners, but he's playing something close to the best cricket of his life right now. Can he turn his indifferent home record around?

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#2 Kuldeep Yadav is expected to be back in the Test mix

India v New Zealand - 1st Test - Source: Getty

Kuldeep Yadav didn't feature even once during India's five-Test series against England, but he's expected to be back in the mix against the West Indies. The left-arm wrist-spinner is on the back of a sensational Asia Cup 2025, where he scalped 17 wickets to finish as the leading wicket-taker by a fair distance.

Kuldeep has barely put a foot wrong in Test cricket, and his numbers are even comparable to the late great Shane Warne. Against an inexperienced team like the West Indies, he is likely to return a bagful of wickets each time he steps up to the popping crease.

Watching Kuldeep at the peak of his powers is always something to look forward to, given his sheer genius and mastery.

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#1 What can Dhruv Jurel do in Rishabh Pant's absence?

India A Vs Australia A 1st Unofficial Test Match Played At The Ekana Cricket Stadium Lucknow - Source: Getty

Rishabh Pant hasn't recovered in time for the West Indies Tests following a broken foot suffered against England. As a result, Dhruv Jurel will feature as India's first-choice wicket-keeper, with N Jagadeesan serving as his deputy.

Can Jurel make the most of chances? Like Rahul, he recently bagged a splendid hundred against Australia A and made some invaluable contributions during his maiden series against England last year. The young right-hander has displayed technical solidity and composure at home, lending weight to the belief that he could even play as a specialist batter in the long run.