The West Indies cricket team has announced a crucial change to their squad ahead of the eagerly awaited two-Test series against India. Promising 22-year-old fast bowler Shamar Joseph has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury, prompting the inclusion of Barbados all-rounder Johann Layne as his replacement. Joseph’s injury will be re-evaluated before the white-ball tour of Bangladesh commences on October 18.
Layne, a talented all-rounder hailing from Barbados, brings a solid record to the team. In his 19 first-class matches, he has demonstrated his batting prowess with 495 runs, including two half-centuries. However, it’s his formidable bowling statistics that truly catch the eye, having already taken 66 wickets at an outstanding average of 22.28, which includes four impressive five-wicket hauls.
The updated West Indies squad for the India Test series will be led by Roston Chase as captain, with Jomel Warrican serving as vice-captain. The opening Test match is scheduled to kick off in Ahmedabad on October 2.
Updated West Indies squad: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Johann Layne, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales
On the Indian side, their squad for the series also sees some significant changes. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Devdutt Padikkal make their return, while Karun Nair and Abhimanyu Easwaran have been omitted. Young talent Shubman Gill will captain the team, with experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja named as his vice-captain.
Star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who suffered a fractured right foot in Manchester, is still undergoing rehabilitation and aims to make his return for the upcoming series against South Africa. In the meantime, Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan will step up to handle the wicketkeeping responsibilities.
India Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, N Jagadeesan, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has received clearance to participate in both Test matches, further strengthening India’s bowling attack alongside Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. Notably, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh were not selected, reportedly due to home conditions, while Shreyas Iyer has opted for a break from red-ball cricket to concentrate on his fitness.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar emphasized the critical importance of these upcoming matches in the World Test Championship cycle, warning that India must avoid a repeat of their previous disappointing performance against New Zealand.
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