West Indies vs India Test Series: Unfamiliar Caribbean Faces Ready to Challenge India at Home

The West Indies vs India test series promises to be a thrilling contest. It will be interesting to watch because many young Caribbean stars will tour India for the first time. The West Indies think tank has decided to move on from some old players, hence they have picked some fresh faces in the squad to give them a go at India. The visitors, however, also know that playing the spin challenge in India would not be an easy task. Therefore, they have also picked some specialist resources to negate this challenge on the tour as well.

Going by the recent stats, India are clear favorites to win the series. Their record at home is quite good, which is why they are being touted as the hot contenders to take the series trophy. However, West Indies cannot be underestimated at all. As described above, there are some fresh faces in the squad that could deliver plenty of surprises to India in this series.

From Alick Athanaze to Khary Pierre, West Indies are bringing up some exciting talent to India this October. It would be a test of nerves for these players, as they will be playing against some of the best in test cricket currently. In this blog, we will take a look at some names that could surprise India in the upcoming test series. Though some of them are inexperienced at the top level, but their core skill could ultimately prove to be a deciding factor for the visitors in this series.

Alick Athanaze

Alick Athanaze is being regarded highly in the West Indies cricket circles. He hails from Dominica, which has produced some remarkable names for West Indies cricket over the years. The 26-year-old batter has impressed many greats in the Caribbean during the last few years, such as Brian Lara, Ian Bishop and more others.

This would be the first tour of India for the young WI batter, hence it could bring tough challenges for him. The way he tackles spin during the test matches would define his proficiency as a specialist batter. The men in maroon would be relying heavily on him in the middle order, so there is a lot of responsibility riding on his shoulders.

Jomel Warrican

Jomel Warrican impressed everyone in the Caribbean during the last Pakistan test tour. Given the nature of spin pitches prepared in Multan, West Indies made the perfect call by including Warrican in the lineup. This decision proved vital for the visitors, as he skittled the Pakistan batting quite badly in the last match of the tour. It was due to his bowling smarts, West Indies defeated Pakistan by a big margin of 120 runs.

Now, West Indies have once again shown trust in Warrican as the specialist spinner for the India test tour. He could produce match-winning spells in India, provided some support is given to him from other bowling compatriots as well. It would be interesting to see how Warrican operates on Indian pitches, because they will provide a lot of assistance to him throughout the series.

Khary Pierre

Another spinner in the WI ranks, Khary Pierre, is set to make an impact on the India tour. He has not made a debut in test cricket ever before, but this tour could give him the prestigious maiden test cap. The 34-year-old spinner is set to assist Jomel Warrican in the spin bowling attack. The pitches in India would suit his bowling style, hence he could give surprises to everyone in the upcoming matches.

Khary Pierre performed tremendously well in the recently concluded West Indies championship. This made a strong case for his test call-up, as selectors were eagerly looking for specialist spin resources. Now, he has the chance to make an impact for the Caribbean team. He has enough skills to bamboozle any batter, so we can expect good performances from him in the crucial moments of the match.

Final Thoughts

The test series between India and West Indies could produce some new stars for world cricket. The hunger and passion in the young lot of WI is certainly evident, so they could bring plenty of surprises for India in the upcoming test matches. Players like Alick Athanaze and Khary Pierre will get the spotlight, as they are coming into the series with a lot of domestic performances. It is therefore an interesting tour for West Indies, because it can give Caribbean cricket an age of new stars