Aakash Chopra picks his Indian XI for 1st Test vs West Indies; says he will definitely play Shardul Thakur

Aakash Chopra has picked his preferred Indian XI for the first Test against the West Indies. He believes Shardul Thakur should be a certainty in the side.

Rohit Sharma and Co. will face the Windies in the first Test of the two-match series in Roseau from Wednesday, July 12. It will be the visitors' first game after the defeat against Australia in the World Test Championship final in June.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Rohit and Shubman Gill will likely open for India, elaborating:

"If you talk about the XI, it is very simple. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill - the Indian team will go with these two openers although Yashasvi Jaiswal opened in the warm-up game and Shubman came at No. 3. If you ask me this question as a long-term prospect, Shubman Gill for the next 15 years, I want him at three or four."

While acknowledging that Gill is better suited to bat down the order, the former Indian opener expects Yashasvi Jaiswal to bat at No. 3, saying:

"Kohli is there at four currently and he is not going anywhere for the next four-five years. Till then Shubman could be at three and Yashasvi could be the opener. Yashasvi Jaiswal might get his debut. If that happens and he comes at No. 3, there will be a big change."

Chopra pointed out that India might see a deviation from their long-term approach at No. 3 if the southpaw bats at the position, explaining:

"Our long-term No. 3s before this game - Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara - their career strike rate was close to 40 but Yashasvi has gone at a strike rate of nearly 70 in first-class cricket. Although this is Test cricket, you don't change your tempo."

Chopra picked Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane to complete his top five. Although the cricketer-turned-commentator expects Gill to bat at the top of the order, Rohit confirmed at the press conference that Jaiswal will open with him, with the Punjab batter playing at No. 3.

---

"This could be his breakthrough series in the West Indies" - Aakash Chopra on Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja has played only three Tests in the West Indies.

While expecting Ravindra Jadeja to better his numbers in the West Indies, Aakash Chopra chose Srikar Bharat ahead of Ishan Kishan as the wicketkeeper-batter, reasoning:

"At six, I am having Ravindra Jadeja, who surprisingly does not have good batting and bowling numbers in the West Indies. So this could be his breakthrough series in the West Indies. Then I am playing Bharat because if I have gone so low down the order, how will I make a place for Ishan Kishan?"

The 45-year-old picked Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Jaydev Unadkat as the rest of the bowlers in his XI, stating:

"Then Ravichandran Ashwin, he has four centuries and a lot of wickets against the West Indies. After that, I will definitely play Shardul Thakur. Then Mohammed Siraj and in the end, I am going with Jaydev Unadkat ahead of Mukesh Kumar because he is a left-armer and he bowled well when he got a chance to play in Bangladesh."

Aakash Chopra's Indian XI for the 1st Test: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Srikar Bharat, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat