AHMEDABAD, Oct 2 — West Indies captain Roston Chase won the toss and chose to bat first against India in the opening Test of the two-match series on Thursday.
Chase, after calling correctly at the toss, said his side was keen to put runs on the board early. “We want to make use of the conditions and give our bowlers something to work with later,” he noted.
India, led by Shubman Gill, named a bowling unit with a clear tilt toward spin. The team went in with three slow bowlers—Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar—while pace responsibilities rest on Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. All-rounder Nitish Reddy provides additional seam options.
Gill, speaking before the start of play, said India’s selection was guided by the pitch. “The surface here tends to assist spinners as the game goes on. We felt three spinners along with two quality fast bowlers give us the right balance,” he mentioned.
India’s playing XI features Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul at the top, followed by Sai Sudharsan and captain Gill. Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, Jadeja, Sundar and Reddy add depth in the middle order, with Kuldeep, Bumrah and Siraj completing the line-up.
For West Indies, Tagenarine Chanderpaul will open alongside John Campbell, with Alick Athanaze and Brandon King reinforcing the batting. Wicketkeeper Shai Hope comes in at No. 5, while Chase himself slots into the middle order. Justin Greaves, Jomel Warrican, Khary Pierre, Johann Layne and Jayden Seales complete the visiting XI.
The Test marks the beginning of an important series for both sides, with India banking on its spin strength at home and West Indies hoping early batting partnerships can set the tone.
