India is set to host the West Indies in a two-match Test series, beginning on October 2nd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The second Test is scheduled to be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi from October 10th. Both matches are scheduled to start at 9:30 AM IST.
This series marks Shubman Gill's first as captain at home. Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been named the vice-captain. The team will be without Rishabh Pant, who is still recovering from an injury; Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan are the wicketkeeping options.
India's batting lineup is expected to feature Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Sai Sudharsan. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna will spearhead the pace attack, while the spin department will be led by Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar, along with Jadeja.
The West Indies have been hit with injuries to key pacers Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph. Jayden Seales is expected to lead the pace attack, with debutant Khary Pierre and Jomel Warrican playing important roles. The return of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze should bolster their batting. Roston Chase will captain the West Indies, with Jomel Warrican as his vice-captain.
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is expected to have a red-soil surface with a green covering. There is a good layer of grass, which is expected to be trimmed down to 4-5mm before the toss. The surface is likely to assist fast bowlers early on, offering seam movement and extra bounce, especially with the new ball. However, the red-soil tracks could deteriorate steadily and bring spinners into play as the match progresses.
Both India and West Indies will be aiming to gain points in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. India is currently third in the WTC standings with a 46.67% win rate, while the West Indies are sixth.
Live streaming of the India vs West Indies 2025 Test cricket series will be available on the JioHotstar website and app in India. The live telecast will be on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2 HD TV channels, and in Hindi on Star Sports 1 Hindi. Tickets for the series are available on BookMyShow.
