Karun Nair dropped, No Shreyas Iyer; RCB ace back: India's probable squad for WI Tests

Karun Nair and Shreyas Iyer are unlikely to make into IND squad [Source: AFP]

After the conclusion of the ongoing Asia Cup tournament, India will cross swords against the West Indies in a two-match Test series. This will be India's first home assignment of the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. 

According to the latest reports, the BCCI men's selection committee is expected to unveil India's squad for the West Indies Tests this week. As the hosts gear up to take on the Men from the Caribbean, let's analyse and find out what could be India's probable combination for the Test series. But before that, here's a look at India's squad for the previous Test series against England. 

India's squad for England series

Shubman Gill (Capt), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Narayan Jagadeesan (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KL Rahul, Karun Nair, B Sai Sudharsan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Rishabh Pant (WK), Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Anshul Kamboj, Harshit Rana

Changes that India are likely to make vs WI

No Karun Nair; Devdutt Padikkal back

• As evidenced by the above stats, Karun Nair failed to make his chances count on India's England tour, managing only 205 runs on relatively good batting decks at a modest average of 25.63. Also, given that Nair is on the wrong side of 30s, it's natural from the Indian team management's perspective to not consider him as their long-term number three batter in Tests. 
• On the other hand, Devdutt Padikkal has showcased remarkable form of late, amassing 223 runs at a marvellous average of 111.5 since the Duleep Trophy. Considering his red-hot form, the Indian team management is considering recalling him to the Test fold, and Karun Nair's recent failure makes him the most likely to make room for the southpaw. 
• Meanwhile, despite blowing hot and cold in the England series, B Sai Sudharsan will likely retain his spot, courtesy of his fluent knock against Australia-A at home. 

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Bumrah rested, Pant ruled out

• Statistically, Jasprit Bumrah has played only 12 out of 48 Tests (25 per cent) in India, meaning the hosts generally consider resting him unless they face a higher-ranked side at home. So, given that the Indian think tank judiciously manages Bumrah's workload, we reckon he could be one of the high-profile names to be rested for the tour. 
• Meanwhile, as per the latest reports, swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will likely miss the West Indies Tests, as he is at the BCCI Centre of Excellence to complete his rehabilitation from a toe injury that sidelined him partly from the England tour. In Pant's absence, Dhruv Jurel will play as India's first-choice wicketkeeper, with the in-form Narayan Jagadeesan (313 runs in last 3 innings, average- 104.34) being his backup. 

Harshit, Arshdeep, Shardul likely to be excluded

• Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh were India's reserve pacers for the England Tests, as it was a one-month-long tour and the English conditions aid in fast bowling. However, with India facing West Indies at home, chances are very slim that these two seamers will be included in the squad. 
• On the other hand, Shardul Thakur didn't live up to the expectations in England, scoring 46 runs and scalping only 2 wickets in two Tests. So, he could make room for Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is reported to be in the mix for the West Indies series. 

Axar Patel likely to be back among the allrounders

(Axar Patel has a stunning record in home Tests)

• Axar Patel was not a part of the Indian Test squad for the England series, as the visitors decided against picking an extra spinner for the seam-friendly English conditions. However, as it's a home series, Axar will likely make his way back into the Test side. 
• The experienced campaigner has been a prolific performer at home, as evidenced by the data presented in the above table. Besides striking at regular intervals with the ball, Axar's ability to maul spin bowling makes him a valuable asset for India at home, where they need quality players of spin. 

The curious case of Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan

Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan were two big names who missed out on selection for the England tour. However, as things currently stand, these two players might not be picked for the West Indies series as well, due to the following reasons. 

• Poor returns roadblock Iyer's Test comeback: Shreyas Iyer was given a golden opportunity to prove his mettle in the Duleep Trophy and unofficial Tests against Australia-A. However, the Mumbaikar failed to capitalise on these chances, amassing only 45 runs across three outings. So, Iyer, who was dropped after scoring just 187 runs in his last 12 Test innings, doesn't seem likely for a comeback unless he improves his numbers in the domestic circuit. 
• Injury is expected to sideline Sarfaraz: On the other hand, Sarfaraz Khan, who seemed the frontrunner for a batter's slot in India's squad for West Indies Tests, jeopardised his comeback after sustaining a quadriceps injury during the Buchi Babu tournament. Despite performing with the bat, Sarfaraz's injury could be the reason why he might not get picked for the series. 

India's probable squad for West Indies Test series

Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Narayan Jagadeesan (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, B Sai Sudharsan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna

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