India, Windies face contrasting challenges in test series

WIBP’s XI off-break bowler Rahkeem Cornwall picked up 5-118 to expose Indian batsmen’s weakness against spin in the second warm up game but Bangar played down the issue.

India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes that the team has had ample time and good number of practice matches to prepare for the all-important four-match Test series against hosts West Indies starting here on Thursday. “You know it’s important for that first innings total”, Brathwaite was quoted as saying by the WICB website.

Those who watch the India vs. West Indies cricket match live online will see if the teams can match the thrilling finish from the last time they met. The teams met in the ICC World T20 semifinal earlier this year, and West Indies won with a thrilling finish and a chase of India’s 192.

The hosts come into the four Test series, on the back of a poor record against their opponents. Rahul has obviously improved leaps and bounds and established himself as third opener in India.

Since last touring West Indies in 2011, when they ground out a 1-0 test series victory (with two draws), India have lost six consecutive series outside of Asia – two each in England and Australia and one each in South Africa and New Zealand. This West Indians team is a younger side.

“We have some plans in our mind, but we can’t disclose those things now”, he said. Holder tried to set up Dhawan by putting two fielders in the deep and asking Carlos Brathwaite to bowl short, while Pujara had a short cover in, for the uppish drive.

Fast-medium bowler Miguel Cummins is tipped for a Test debut having replaced the retired Jerome Taylor while skipper Jason Holder and fellow allrounder Carlos Brathwaite are likely to be called upon to produce long, tight spells of medium pace. “He doesn’t get exhausted and always looks positive in his approach-his energy level is the same for all five days”. Mohammed Shami, who returned to competitive cricket recently may warm the bench for this fixture along with rookie Shardul Thakur. India is ahead of eighth-ranked the West Indies by 44 points and Australia leads seventh-ranked Sri Lanka by 33 points, and because the rankings are weighted to reflect this difference, India and Australia’s failure to win their series convincingly will mean they will drop points. We tend to bored at times when we go out there in the Test match. But I don’t think we will have to change anything really. The spinners would come into the act on the 3rd or 4th day of the match. Of those who have scored at least 3,000 runs in Test matches, only 14 have managed to reach that figure in the 139-year-old history of Test cricket.

Kohli also hinted that Rohit Sharma won’t be playing and that Stuart Binny or Ravindra Jadeja would take his place as they would bolster India’s bowling attack, Kohli also said in his press conference that he is in favor of playing five bowlers.