🏏India vs West Indies,1st Test: N M Stadium, Ahmedabad, Day 3🏏

🏏India vs West Indies, 1st Test Series: West Indies tour of India, 2025🏏

If the India-West Indies series, starting tomorrow (October 2) in Ahmedabad, were to be played as a game of chess, it would be a contest with more to lose than to gain for the home side.

For a higher-rated Elo player, victory over a lower-rated opponent normally brings little reward - and the returns are even more negligible when the gulf between them is huge in chess.

The situation is not much different in the current scenario, with India standing to lose more than they can gain. It is No. 4 against No. 8 in the ICC Test rankings, but with 24 precious World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake, India would have hoped they were a shoo-in, otherwise.

However, the unpredictable weather conditions could make the task a little tricky.

Theoretically and practically, the gap in quality between the sides is enormous, with the state of West Indies cricket raising global concerns.

Their last pink-ball outing had ended in a debacle (27 all out), while recent white-ball performances were humbling experiences (against Nepal).

The red-ball scenario is unlikely to be any better, although skipper Roston Chase insists that he leads a different team.

Since their arrival in India, the West Indies have been harping about drawing inspiration from last year's India-New Zealand series, in which Rohit Sharma's side shockingly went down 0-3. In reality, however, that result was a rare aberration in India's otherwise ruthless home record and dominance.

As a matter of fact, in the last 22 Tests between the two sides since 2006, the West Indies have failed to win any, losing 13 and drawing nine.

New Zealand or otherwise, the Indian team remains an indomitable force at home. Fresh from a valiantly-fought drawn series in England, they are brimming with confidence and form. Shubman Gill, who looked unstoppable at No. 4 in England, is poised to lead again in familiar home conditions.

The irrepressible opening duo of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, followed by Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel at No. 5 or 6, gives India a strong batting line-up despite the absence of regular wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

Their only problem is the problem of abundance in resources with four genuine all-rounders - Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Nitish Kumar Reddy - in the squad. Selecting the playing XI will be a tricky task, especially because the Narendra Modi Stadium pitch is not the usual dusty turner.

Jadeja and Sundar, after their brilliance in England, should be automatic picks. The presence of Kuldeep Yadav further complicates the task of selecting the XI, especially considering Axar's excellent record at the venue. That leaves two among three - Axar, Reddy, and Kuldeep - joining the bowling line-up of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Jadeja, and Sundar.

The word before the Test is that no specific request has been made by the Indian team management to the host association regarding the choice of wicket. The red-soil track carries a hint of grass, and the refrain in Ahmedabad is that everyone wants a Test that lasts longer rather than shorter. But whether this West Indies side can truly exploit a 'sporting' surface and push the Indian side remains the key question.

When: India vs West Indies, 1st Test, October 2-6, 2025, 9:30 AM IST

Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Pitch Report

What to expect: India start as overwhelming favourites, even though Shubman Gill says he does not know how the match will pan out. The skipper's dilemma centers on the surface, which remains an unknown quantity. "The last Test match that we played here was on a black soil. We are playing this one on red soil. So I am actually looking forward to seeing how the wicket is going to play over the next five days," said Gill on the eve of the match. With the West Indies having lost a couple of key bowlers - Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph - Roston Chase's side arrives with a depleted attack, likely to be easy fodder for India's mighty batting line-up. An Indian win is all but certain, but the question is how many days it will take, especially with a bit of moisture in the sky.

Team News

India

With all players available, the hosts face a problem of plenty. Before the squad arrived, there was a plan to release Nitish Reddy for the India A or Rest of India game if he were not to be considered for the XI. That plan, seemingly, has now been cancelled, leaving India to consider using him as a third seamer alongside Bumrah and Siraj. Three of the four spinners in the squad are expected to make the XI, which means N Jagadeesan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Prasidh Krishna will warm the bench.

Possible XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel/Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

West Indies

There are three changes from the squad which recently faced Australia, with the inclusions of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze, along with a maiden Test call up for left-arm spinner Khary Pierre. But the two Josephs - Shamar and Alzarri - are ruled out of the series due to injuries and replacement Jediah Blades, a left-arm pacer is yet to arrive in Ahmedabad. The visitors have tricky selection calls to make.

Squad: Roston Chase (captain), Jomel Warrican (vice-captain), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Johann Layne, Jediah Blades, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre and Jayden Seales.

Did you know:

Ravindra Jadeja needs 114 runs to complete a double of 300 wickets and 4000 runs in Tests. Only Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori have done that previously

India had won 18 consecutive home Test series between 2012/13 and 2024/25 - a streak broken by NZ last year (0-3). The next best streak is 10 for Australia -- twice -- 1994/95 - 2000/01 & 2004 - 2008/09

India and West Indies have contested in 10 bilateral series in the 21st century. WI won the five-match home series in 2002 by 2-1, while India won each of the next nine. WI haven't defeated India in a Test post those two wins in that 2002 series

What they said:

We are looking to play some hard, grinding cricket. Over the past few years, Test matches in India haven't really gone the full five days. What we are really aiming for is to play solid, demanding cricket. All the Test matches we played in England went pretty deep. What people can expect from us is challenging, hard-fought cricket, and we won't be looking for any easy options. We have the skill set to perform on any kind of wicket or in any situation - Shubman Gill, India skipper

This is a new series. It's a new day, so we just have to put everything behind us that has happened before and come up with the mentality that we're looking to dominate. We're looking to win and just go out there and give our best. Ask God for guidance and stick together as a team. Obviously, we're in India's backyard, and we're not going to have much support. So we have to stick together as a unit - coaching staff, players, management - and support one another through the tough times as well as the good times - Roston Chase, West Indies skipper

The sun rises on a new chapter for Indian Test cricket in Ahmedabad as Shubman Gill leads the team for the first time at home, with a struggling West Indies standing in their way. While India enter as overwhelming favourites, this opening clash of the new World Test Championship cycle carries undertones of transition and survival.

All eyes will be on India’s evolving batting order. With senior names missing, the onus falls on youngsters like Sai Sudharsan to anchor the middle order and translate domestic dominance into international runs. The ability of this next generation to deliver in pressure situations will define India’s innings stability.

The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium adds further intrigue. A grassy red-soil surface promises assistance for the seamers, making Jasprit Bumrah’s much-awaited return to Test cricket a major talking point. His opening burst against the West Indies top order could shape the rhythm of the match even before the first lunch break.

For the visitors, the challenge is as old as Caribbean tours to India — how to survive spin. An inexperienced middle order, led by Shai Hope, must withstand the probing questions posed by Ravindra Jadeja and the returning Kuldeep Yadav. If the West Indies resist, they can prolong the contest; if not, it may be another lopsided affair.

08:30 Local Time, 03:00 GMT, 08:30 IST: India’s tour of England was hailed as the dawn of the Shubman Gill era, and today, that chapter takes its first step on home soil. For the first time in over 15 years, India walk out for a home Test without the iconic trio of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin - three stalwarts who shaped the golden age of Indian cricket. The stage is as dramatic as it gets. The last time India played at home, their 12-year fortress was breached. New Zealand not only ended India’s long unbeaten run but handed them a stunning 3-0 whitewash. For a team that had built an aura of invincibility at home, it was a humbling reminder that eras end and new ones must be forged. This series, though against a lower ranked West Indies, is a chance for India to reassert that dominance, to show a new core is ready to carry the legacy forward. Hello and welcome to the first Test between India and West Indies..

West Indies haven’t fared much better in red-ball cricket. Their last outing was brutal - skittled for 27 and swept 3-0 by Australia under new skipper Roston Chase. The pace attack showed promise, with Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales and Alzarri Joseph troubling batters, but injuries have sidelined the Josephs for this series. The batting has been fragile even at home, and facing Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar in Indian conditions will be an even sterner test. Belief is their only ally as they look to push India and prove they still have fight left. Toss and teams coming up..

India’s red-ball journey has been rocky since that New Zealand series. A series defeat in Australia and missing the WTC final for the first time told its own story, with the side slumping to just 1 win in 9 Tests at one stage. But in England, a young team showed its fight. Shubman Gill led from the front, and the 2-2 draw restored belief. Seniors like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj stood tall, and now the task is to carry that momentum forward. Against the West Indies, India have the perfect chance to reset and make a statement.