India's predicted playing XI for the 1st Test vs West Indies ft. Nitish Kumar Reddy & Kuldeep Yadav

India are all set to commence a home Test leg with a two-match rubber against the West Indies. The first Test will start on Thursday, October 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Ahead of the series opener, captain Shubman Gill kept his cards close to his chest when asked about team selection. Several reports have been doing the rounds regarding India's ideal combination, and there are a fair few indicators to suggest which route they will take.

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.

On that note, here is India's predicted playing XI for the first Test against the West Indies.

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Openers: KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: JAN 04 fifth NRMA Insurance Test - Source: Getty

Picking the opening combination is a straightforward task. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, who were sensational in England, will continue to open the batting for India. Rahul will want to set his home record, which is rather indifferent, right.

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Middle Order: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: JAN 03 fifth NRMA Insurance Test - Source: Getty

Sai Sudharsan crossed the half-century mark just once during the Test series against England, but big things are expected of him. The left-hander was in stellar touch during India A's recent red-ball assignment against Australia A, and that should help him retain the No. 3 spot for now.

The rest of India's middle order pick themselves. Captain Shubman Gill and the all-rounder duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar will form the backbone of the lineup, while Dhruv Jurel will be the first-choice wicket-keeper in Rishabh Pant's absence.

The final spot could be taken up by one of Axar Patel, Devdutt Padikkal and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Ahead of the first Test, Gill stated that India are considering fielding a third pacer, and that could be Nitish because of the team's insistence on batting depth.

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Lower Order: Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

England & India Net Sessions - Source: Getty

Kuldeep Yadav hasn't been a central figure in the Test format recently, but his splendid form in the Asia Cup should make him hard to drop in home conditions. The left-arm wrist-spinner is expected to be partnered by Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah in the pace attack, with Prasidh Krishna serving as their backup for now.