Cheteshwar Pujara dropped as India announce 16-men squad for West Indies tests

India have included Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal in their batting order.

BCCI has announced India’s 16-member squad for the 2-match test series against West Indies. After India’s crushing defeat against Australia in the World Test Championship Final at The Oval, BCCI dropped India’s number 3 for a long time, Cheteshwar Pujara. Pujara’s place looked in danger after his poor show with the bat in WTC Final. India will be going in with a new number 3 batter in the West Indies series. India have given two young batters a go for the West Indian tour and have picked Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad. If India decide to go with one among Yashasvi or Ruturaj as an opener along with Captain Rohit, Shubman Gill might take up the role of Number three. 

India have rested Mohammed Shami, while Umesh Yadav has been dropped for the two-match series and resumption of their World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. In place of Shami and Umesh, Mukesh Kumar and Navdeep Saini have been picked. Saini will be making his comeback in the squad after India’s tour of Australia in 2021. KS Bharat has retained his place as a wicket-keeper along with Ishan Kishan. Captain Rohit Sharma will be leading the Indian side, earlier the reports suggested that Rohit, Virat might take a break from the two-test series against West Indies. Rohit and Virat both will be taking charge in the Indian playing eleven. Ajinkya Rahane is back as India’s vice-captain. 

Knowing the slow conditions, team India will go in with three spinners in their 16-member squad. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel will be taking the role of spinners. India’s tour of the West Indies will begin on 12th July with a test at Windsor Park in Dominica. The second test will take place at Queens Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad. India dominated the previous test series in the Caribbean and decimated West Indies by 2-0 after the World Cup 2019 in England. India will also play 3 ODI’s and 5 T20 games in the series. 

India’s 16-member squad for the West Indies Test series

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini