"Pitches for Test cricket are different" - Shubman Gill drops major hint over India's playing XI ahead of IND vs WI 2025 1st Test

Team India skipper Shubman Gill remained tight-lipped about the playing XI for the opening Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, starting on October 2. Yet, he admitted that India could play a third seamer, given the first look at the Ahmedabad conditions and wicket.

India's 15-member squad for the two-Test series against the West Indies includes four spin-bowling options in Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel. They have gone with only three specialist pacers in the squad, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is the other seaming option in the roster.

When asked about the combination for the series opener in the press conference, Gill said (via TOI X handle):

"We will decide on our playing XI tomorrow. Given the weather conditions and the pitch, we might be tempted to play a third seamer. I've mostly played T20 cricket at this venue. Pitches for Test cricket are different."

Gill admitted the challenges of the quick turnaround for the players from the recently concluded Asia Cup to the West Indies series.

"It's a quick turnaround for this Test. I was looking to get in the zone. Switching format is more of a mental thing. From a mental adjustment point of view, switching from T20 to Test cricket is probably the hardest. I will take it week by week. I am not looking too far ahead. For batters, it's more mental fatigue than physical - unlike bowlers. Right now, I am fresh," he said.

India won the Asia Cup by defeating Pakistan in the grand finale two days back on September 28. Apart from the skipper himself, several others, including Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel, are part of both the Asia Cup and the West Indies series squads.

"Nothing is pre-decided" - Shubman Gill on Jasprit Bumrah's workload management

Shubman Gill said that ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah's participation in the upcoming West Indies series will be decided on a match-to-match basis. Bumrah played in only three out of the five matches in India's most recent Test series in England as part of workload management.

"Regarding Bumrah's workload management, nothing is pre-decided. We will assess on a match-to-match basis – how many days the Test lasts, how our fast bowlers feel," said Gill (via the aforementioned source).

The champion pacer played in all five Tests of the Australian series last year, resulting in him suffering a back injury during the final Test at Sydney. Bumrah was on the sidelines for the next several months before returning to action during the 2025 IPL season.