West Indies announce 13-man squad for Second India Test; Kevin Sinclair receives maiden Test call-up 

Spin-bowling all-rounder Kevin Sinclair has received his maiden Test call-up for the second Test against India starting Thursday, July 20, in Trinidad.

The West Indies named their 13-man squad with Sinclair replacing Raymon Reifer as the only change. Reifer, who endured scores of 2 and 11 in the opening Test, will remain with the squad as an injury cover.

The hosts suffered one of their worst defeats in the opening game, losing by an innings and 141 runs in less than three days at Dominica. Indian spinners wreaked havoc on their batters, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja picking 17 out of the 20 wickets.

With Trinidad historically being one of the most spin-friendly pitches in the Caribbean, the hosts have added Sinclair to beef up their spin-bowling stocks. The 23-year-old has featured in seven ODIs and six T20Is, with a combined 15 wickets and two four-wicket hauls.

The Guyanese cricketer was part of the West Indian squad in the recently concluded calamitous World Cup Qualifiers, picking up two wickets in three games.

Sinclair boasts impressive first-class numbers, with 54 scalps in 18 games at an impressive average of 23.98. He also has three 5-wicket-hauls and best figures of 6/33. He is renowned for his trademark flips when celebrating dismissals and has been part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) since 2020.

Barring the lone change, the remainder of the West Indian squad remains intact from the first Test. The hosts will look to bounce back from the embarrassing defeat in the opening Test to nod the two-match series at one apiece.

The fixture will also mark the 100th Test between India and West Indies, with the visitors being dominant over the last two decades. Overall, the hosts still hold a 30-23 advantage after 99 Tests, courtesy of their dominance in World Cricket until the 1980s and the early 1990s.

West Indies have not tasted success in Tests against the Asian giants since the final game of the five-Test series in 2002. While Team India has been on the rise in the Test format since, with the side atop the ICC Test rankings for several years, West Indies have been on a downward spiral.

The Test series marked the beginning of the 2023-2025 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both teams. India qualified for the final in the first two WTC cycles and will be gunning for a hattrick of trips to the summit clash.

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West Indies squad for the 2nd Test Vs. India

West Indies squad for the second Test: Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Jermaine Blackwood (VC), Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva (WK), Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kirk McKenzie, Kevin Sinclair, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican

Reserves: Tevin Imlach, Akeem Jordan