Nair and Easwaran dropped, Padikkal, Axar back for West Indies Tests

The BCCI selectors have named a straightforward 15-man squad for two Tests against West Indies next month, with Dhruv Jurel set to play as India’s wicketkeeper in the absence of Rishabh Pant and N Jagadeesan as the understudy. Nitish Reddy is back, after successfully completing his rehabilitation post the injury sustained during the England Tests. 

From the squad that toured England, Karun Nair and Abhimanyu Easwaran have been dropped. Devdutt Padikkal, who last week scored 150 for India A against Australia A in an unofficial Test match, has been recalled. 

Jasprit Bumrah has been not rested after playing each of India’s Asia Cup matches, and leads a pace attack comprising Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and the returning Reddy. Akash Deep is not fit for selection owing to his rehab from the injury sustained in England. Axar Patel returns to the Test squad, having not played since February 2024. 

The series starts on October 2 in Ahmedabad – four days after the final of the Asia Cup – followed by the second Test in New Delhi from October 10. 

Pant remains sidelined with the fractured foot suffered in England and is currently at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. Jurel kept wickets in the last two Tests of the England tour, while the uncapped Jagadeesan was named as Pant’s replacement. 

Nair returned to Test cricket after eight years this past summer but managed to accumulate 205 runs at an average of just over 25, with one half-century in eight innings. Padikkal, 25, played the last of his two Test matches during the tour to Australia in November 2024. For South Zone in the Duleep Trophy this month, he scored 57 and 16 not out and then 150 in Lucknow against Australia A. 

West Indies have won a Test match in India since 1994, but their head coach Darren Sammy is optimistic of this team’s chances, singling out the variety in its pace attack – Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, and Anderson Phillips – as well as the success that an unfancied New Zealand had last year when they stunned the hosts 3-0. 

The touring side has arrived in Ahmedabad, where it will engage in a six-day camp from September 24 to 29. 

India Test squad: Shubmab Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (v/c), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, N Jagadeesan (wk)