Team India reaches West Indies

The core group remains same and that makes team India a very strong contender against a West Indies side who have made the notable exclusion of their former Test skipper and wicket keeper Dinesh Ramdin.

Team India coach Anil Kumble (R) with the players during their arrival at St. Kitts on Thursday.

Skipper Virat Kohli (14) and Ajinkya Rahane (5) failed to get what would have been some valuable batting practice before the start of the four-match Test series.

Spinner Amit Mishra’s impressive four-wicket-haul was the high point for Indians on the second day while Shai Hope’s unbeaten century was the highlight of West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI innings.

India is set to play four Tests against the West Indies, starting with the opening Test at North Sound, Antigua from July 21.

“It gives you a lot of confidence because coming up against a decent side like India, the bowlers, the batters all of them are world class so you have to take something from it”, he said after play.

Mishra will have to face a stiff competition with Ravindra Jadeja for a place in the playing XI. He also captained the team briefly in 13 matches.

The right-hander has struggled with the bat in his last 11 Tests over a 12-month period, averaging just 22, but showed signs of form in his last two innings on the tour of Australia, gathering 59 in Melbourne last December and 62 in Sydney last January.

R Ashwin has been India’s best bowler in the last two Test series with him picking two back-to-back Man of the Series awards to help India defeat Sri Lanka 2-1 away and South Africa 3-0 at home.

It will be also interesting to see whether India gives an opportunity to in-form batsman KL Rahul at first drop or to Cheteshwar Pujara, who has fallen off the radar.

With the pitches in West Indies getting slower by the day, all the three spinners will take turns to roll their arm over.

Batsman Leon Johnson gained a recall, but experienced quicks Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor have been left out.