India vs West Indies 1st test: Preview

The West Indies have stepped into the Indian soil to play a test series after more than 9 years and will be looking to prove a point.

Time Sunday, November 6 Start time 9.30 IST

In case you are lazy to recall: The last time India faced West Indies, India were the No.1 test team; MS Dhoni remained (read: ensured that he stayed) unbeaten; the West Indies tail enders were frustratingly defiant on the fifth day; India had to face the media heat following a cop-out when they refused to pursue a target which was attainable in 15 overs.

Now, I know in case you had a hardcopy of this you would have already clipped out a couple of points from the last few lines especially for they don’t match with the present. When you are one of those Indian fans who saw the team trounce in the English soil with your eyebrows frowning, eyeballs staring at the television trying to pick up some clues so as to know what is happening, the series could always come back to haunt your memories just like it does to me.

But yet again it is all antique we are talking about, as there was again a series played with the tourists and hosts interchanging their roles and it seemed like drubbing was a word only reserved for ‘visitor’s.

So if the last few performances by Team India have any signs to offer, India have built up a home fortress that seem impregnable to even the best teams.

This is the challenge that the West Indies team buys into coming high on confidence after a series win in Bangladesh (read: subcontinent). They have stepped into the Indian soil to play a test series after more than 9 years.

Inexperienced bowling attack

Among Ravichandran Ashwin and Rahul Sharma, Ashwin is likely to get the nod given the additional dimension he lends to the attack with his temperament, improvisations and variety. Pragyan Ojha is likely to be in the eleven after being ignored for a while. One from Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron will make to the side.

Indian batting is back to full-strength after almost a year. (India last fielded a full strength test squad against South Africa last December.) For the Indian team this could serve as the preparation for the major tour against Australia later this winter.

Tomorrow’s men need to own responsibility

The primary concern for India in the recent times has been their bowling attack. Ishant Sharma should own the responsibility of leading the bowling attack as he did in the West Indies. It is hard to think how long Zaheer could continue at this level given his non-cooperative body condition that is constantly reminding him of his age.

DRS

The DRS, with its fallibility exposed, is not going to defy any on-field decisions in this series.

Conditions

The newly laid pitch in the Feroz Shah Kotla is expected to produce a balanced context. It is expected to be slow and to offer turn as the game progresses.

Squad

India Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni (captain & wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Rahul Sharma.

West Indies Darren Sammy (captain), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh (wicket-keeper), Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin (wicket-keeper), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels and Shane Shillingford.