Antigua Test Preview: Confident India face fresh Windies

Antigua: A assured India underneath new manager Anil Kumble will be aiming to explain their third unbroken Test array when they take on an fresh West Indies side in a initial diversion of a four-match Test rubber during a Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Thursday.

Indian cricket group players use during Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Monday. PTI Photo
Indian cricket group players use during Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Monday. Pic/ PTI

India had won both their prior array in a Caribbean with a 1-0 domain (2006 and 2011) and a arriving 4 Tests will give a Virat Kohli-led immature side a shining event to improved that record.

Meanwhile, a hosts haven’t won a Test array opposite anyone other than Bangladesh or Zimbabwe, home or away, given Aug 2012 while India can bank on their 2-1 divided win opposite Sri Lanka and 3-0 thrashing of South Africa during home late final year.

Going into a initial Test, a Indians had a decent tour in both a warm-up games opposite a West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI side, with both a batsmen and bowlers spending plenty time in a middle.

But it won’t be a cakewalk for a visitors as a lane used for a use games during St. Kitts was on a slower side though with some bounce, that helped a spinners from possibly side while a pacers had to be confident with a singular transformation available.

From a time, Kohli took over a layer of a Test team, India have mostly opted for a five-bowler strategy, a trend that is really expected to be continued in a initial Test.

With Lokesh Rahul scoring a half century in any of a dual games, a opening container will be an engaging competition between him and southpaw Shikhar Dhawan, who also dismissed a half ton while Murali Vijay is roughly a certainty.

The center sequence comprises of a some-more staid section with Cheteshwar Pujara during one down, Kohli and his emissary Ajinkya Rahane during No. 4 and 5 with stumper Wriddhiman Saha during No.6. Rohit Sharma’s place in a personification XI depends on either India skeleton to play 4 or 5 bowlers.

The gait bowling dialect will be spearheaded by a seasoned Ishant Sharma and is expected to embody Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Mohammed Shami, who returned to rival cricket recently might comfortable a dais for this tie along with rookie Shardul Thakur.

With a marks aiding a slower bowlers, leg-spinner Amit Mishra and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin demeanour a probable combination, as a former had taken a four-wicket transport in one of a use games while left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja’s inclusion will also accelerate a lower-order batting.

Meanwhile, a hosts will bank on their many gifted supporter Marlon Samuels to boost a center sequence as a rest of a batting choice lacks adequate knowledge exclusive Darren Bravo.

Vice captain Kraigg Brathwaite along with Rajendra Chandrika are many expected to open a batting followed by Bravo, Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood and Carlos Brathwaite.

Having forsaken comparison keeper-batsman Dinesh Ramdin, who played 74 Tests, rookie Shane Dowrich will enclose a large gloves.

The vital headache for a hosts will be a gait bowling dialect after losing Jerome Taylor to Test retirement, and ignoring Kemar Roach. In their absence, skipper Jason Holder will lead a bowlers along with Carlos Brathwaite, Shannon Gabriel and Miguel Cummins while leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo is a sole dilettante spinner in a team.

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