India Commences West Indies Test series, Resting Bumrah, Kuldeep, and Axar

Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel took a break while the rest of the Indian team began preparations for the first of two Tests against the West Indies, just two days after their significant Asia Cup victory. The team, including captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, arrived between Monday night and Tuesday and put in a nearly three-hour training session at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

With the rapid transition from the Asia Cup ending on Sunday to the World Test Championship series starting on Thursday, managing player workload is crucial for India. The session commenced with a light warm-up and catching practice before moving to the nets, where batters engaged in extensive training and the pace bowlers worked hard.

Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, fresh from India A’s second four-day unofficial Test win against Australia A, bowled for about 45 minutes in favorable weather conditions for the home team. Both right-arm pacers demonstrated good rhythm, utilizing speed and bounce on the practice wickets following a rain shower.

Coach Gambhir inspected the pitch again after India’s practice concluded. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul looked in great form, as did wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel, who captained India A. Middle-order batsmen B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal also appeared in good touch, though captain Gill faced challenges from India’s pacers and the throwdown specialist.

Despite some hits and misses, and a surprise rising delivery hitting him on the glove, Gill alternated between nets, batting against varied bowling styles as he prepares for his first home Test as India’s full-time captain. This match marks his first home assignment in the World Test Championship with the reconstituted Indian side.

Who will be selected as the extra batter?

With the top four positions secured, the choice of an additional batter remains between Nitish Reddy and Padikkal. Padikkal excelled in the nets after scoring 150 in the first unofficial Test against Australia A, and Reddy showcased impressive bowling rhythm alongside Siraj and Prasidh.

Reddy’s inclusion would add a third seam bowling option, and it will be interesting to see if the team management opts for this before the match begins. This decision is likely to be pivotal in team selection, alongside established players Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep, Siraj, and Bumrah.

Kuldeep, who took four crucial wickets in the Asia Cup final, could be a formidable challenge for a West Indies team inexperienced in Indian conditions. Earlier, due to rain interruptions, the West Indies team was limited to training in the indoor nets for just half an hour.

Published on Sep 30, 2025