India vs West Indies Test Series: Can Upbeat Caribbean Stars Stun the Favorites?

The test series with India will prove to be a tough challenge for the West Indies. They have recently shown solid performances in tests, but beating India at home requires something more than that. India is one of those teams that is quite strong at home. In recent years, their record at home is simply remarkable. They have won the majority of their series at home during the last World Test Championship cycle. Though they couldn’t reach the final in the end, but their record at home speaks volumes for itself.

Taking on India at home would therefore be a daunting task for the West Indies. They have to come up with a complete team game to upset the hosts at home. It is widely expected that India will prepare spin friendly conditions for the West Indies test series. This has remained their go-to method to trounce opposition at home.

From Australia to England, no team has found solid answers in the spinning conditions of India. West Indies will therefore need to build a strategy that can produce something magical in India. There are various options they can consider for this high-profile series. Luckily, West Indies have also found some good spinners in the last few years, such as Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, and others.

The Caribbean team will therefore rely on its spin attack to make a difference in India. Besides that, the batting department of the visitors also needs to build some plans to counter the Indian attack. Building a batting strategy against someone like Jasprit Bumrah is really important. Similarly, they need quick answers for Ravindra Jadeja, who is expected to lead the attack of the Indian spinners.

Let’s take a look at the options with which West Indies can make a difference in India. By studying all of them, we can have an idea how visitors can pull off something remarkable in India.

Picking Spin Attack Wisely

It is widely expected that India will dish out extreme turners in both test matches against the West Indies. This has remained their key strategy for years, and its record speaks volumes for itself. West Indies would surely have an idea what type of spin attack they will face in Ahmedabad and Delhi. Having this analysis, they also need to pick their spin attack against India smartly.

The success of CPL has unearthed many specialist spinners this season. West Indies can take advantage of that, as the young guns from the Caribbean can give surprises to the Indian batters. Alongside new spinners, West Indies can call up some experienced names like Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase to steal the show in India.

Utilizing the Batting Depth

Batting would prove to be a tough challenge in India. The spin-heavy conditions will test the quality of West Indies batting. Keeping that in view, they need to pick batters who can play spin effectively in India. The captain Kraigg Brathwaite is one of those names that can provide stability to the Windies. Alongside him, Roston Chase could also make a difference, provided he settles in the middle early.

Besides these two names, West Indies also need other batters to step up. If they do so, West Indies would have a solid chance to put a strong total on the board. They will need the batters to provide stability in the first innings, as doing that can give them an advantage over India.

Using All-Round Options

Having all-rounders in the team is a crucial requirement for tests these days. India has got a lot of options in this regard, such as Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy and more others. West Indies also needs to find similar options like that. Apart from Roston Chase, they don’t have many all-rounders in the team. This is one of those areas that they must need to look at before arriving in India, so that suitable resources can be picked for the upcoming challenge.

Final Words

West Indies need proper planning and resources to win the test series in India. It is certainly an uphill task, but can be done by utilizing the right strategies and personnel. New Zealand did that last year by showcasing aggressive strategies in both batting and bowling departments. West Indies will also need to do that by using proper session-by-session plans to outsmart India at their own venues.