IND vs WI, 2025: India vs West Indies, 1st Test Match Preview

Published - 01 Oct 2025, 12:05 IST | Updated - 01 Oct 2025, 13:30 IST

India are all set to host West Indies for a two-match Test series, with the first game all set to commence at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 02.

This series will be Shubman Gill's first time leading at home. Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been handed the vice-captain duties, while Rishabh Pant’s injury has opened the door for wicketkeepers Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan. India’s pace attack will be spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.

While Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Sai Sudharsan are expected to shoulder the batting responsibilities. The spin department will be headed by Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar, joining Jadeja. Notably, this is India's first home series after the historic series whitewash at the hands of New Zealand, and they would look to put that performance behind them and use the home conditions to their advantage.

Bumrah, Kuldeep, Axar rest for first practice session

The West Indies have suffered twin setbacks with injuries to pacers Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph. Jayden Seales will lead their pace unit, while debutant Khary Pierre and spinner Jomel Warrican are set to play important roles. The return of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze is set to add depth to their batting lineup, after the team came off a 3-0 whitewash in Australia.

Both teams will be keen to make a mark in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. India currently sits third on the table with a 46.67% win rate, while the West Indies are sixth.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is set to feature a red-soil surface with a noticeable green covering. As per reports, the curator has left a good layer of grass, which is expected to be trimmed down to 4-5mm before the toss. The surface is likely to help fast bowlers early on, providing seam movement and extra bounce, especially with the new ball. However, red-soil tracks could deteriorate steadily and bring spinners into play as the match progresses.

⁠Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill  (C), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kevlon Anderson, Brandon King, Roston Chase (c), Shai Hope, Justin Greaves, Jomel Warrican (vc), Jediah Blades, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales