Red-hot India on green-top
Ahmedabad: The short turnaround time from the high of winning a controversy-marred Asia Cup notwithstanding, Shubman Gill's India will be outright favourites against a struggling and under-strength West Indies when the two teams face-off on a green-top in the first Test starting here on Thursday.
Most of the Indian team members, including skipper Gill, and head coach Gautam Gambhir arrived here on the intervening night between Monday and Tuesday from Dubai, and they have left no stone unturned to get themselves up and running for red-ball cricket. The stakes are definitely high as World Test Championship points are also on offer.
A terrific five-Test series in Old Blighty, which India drew 2-2, has kept Gill's side at third spot and one above England, and the contest starting here on Thursday will be the first of the four home games in which the hosts will look to add as many points as possible.
“We are looking to play some hard grinding cricket and then over the past few years if you see, the Test matches in India don't really go (on) up to five days, so what we are really looking to do is to play some good, hard cricket,” Gill said.
The playing conditions appear to be a lot different this time around in Ahmedabad with a green pitch in offing under cloudy conditions. While it has been hot and humid, there are chances of rain interruptions over the Test match but none that threaten to wash away the game.
Given the plight of the West Indies, who have lost each of their three Tests in this WTC 2025-27 cycle, and the chasm between the two competing teams being significantly high, it will not be an exaggeration to say that India's playing combination will generate more interest than the contest itself.
With a green-top pitch in making for the first of the four home Tests, it could imply that India are, for now, deviating from their preference for rank turners -- something that had led to their downfall against New Zealand last season even though it seemed the "right thing to do".
"I can't really speak about what were the conversations before I came (in as captain), but yes we would be looking to play on wickets that offer (help) to both the batsmen and to the bowlers," Gill said.
In fact, a lot has changed since India played their last home Test in November 2024. Batting greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have since away along with the legendary Ravichandran Ashwin.
Mohammed Shami isn't around either but none of that has depleted India's firepower across departments.
India have settled batting and bowling units but it remains to be seen if the team's think-tank prefers to go with an extra batter in Devdutt Padikkal or pick a seam bowling all-rounder in Nitish Reddy.
Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav are expected to be the primary spinners but India might decide to bolster
the spin attack.
For the West Indies, their backs are firmly against the wall even before the first ball has been bowled. The ignominy of being shot out for their lowest-ever total of 27 in their previous outing -- a day-night Test at Jamaica against Australia -- looms large.
