The Major Talking Points From Team India's Test Squad For West Indies Tour

The 17-man Test squad announced by the BCCI for the West Indies tour has sparked plenty of debate. The announcement of the squad was a much-anticipated one, especially after India's crushing loss to Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Kennington Oval.

One of the major observations from the squad has been the inclusion of the uncapped stars in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal - both of whom have done well in the domestic circuit. Nevertheless, Cheteshwar Pujara's exclusion has raised eyebrows, given his solid record at No.3. However, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has been retained despite their questionable performances in the last two years.

Here are the burning questions from Team India's Test squad to face the West Indies:

1) Who will bat at No.3 in the Test side?

With Pujara dropped, the most significant selection debate is who will occupy the No.3 Spot? Pujara has batted in 155 out of his 176 Tet innings and averages a healthy 44.41 in that position. With him absent, it will be interesting to see whether Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad will come in at No.3. Or will the management ask Shubman Gill to bat at that position and open with either Jaiswal or Gaikwad?

Jaiswal and Gaikwad are openers; hence, it can be tricky to bat at No.3. India can also consider moving Virat Kohli or Ajinkya Rahane to number three; however, they have batted only 6 and 5 times in, respectively in that position in their careers. Gill has also played only once at No. 3, scoring 47 runs on that occasion.

West Indies might not be world-beaters; however, their bowling attack of Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel, and Jayden Seales can rattle any batting unit. Hence, India would want a settled line-up.

2) Are Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma walking a tightrope in Test cricket?

While the selectors have wielded the axe on Pujara, it is safe to say that all eyes will be on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the West Indies Tests. The decorated pair under performed like their compatriots in the WTC final against Australia and have been far from consistent.

While Kohli averages 45 in 5 Tests in 2023, thanks to the marathon 186 in Ahmedabad, the numbers were below 30 in the preceding 3 years. Rohit, meanwhile, averages 37.50 in 5 Tests in 2023, but has been far from consistent. The repeated injuries forced him to miss a handful of Tests in the last two years.

The star duo need big runs under their belt if they are to be assured of their spots for a gruelling South Africa tour later this year.

3) Will India stick with KS Bharat or a Test debut for Ishan Kishan awaits?

While KS Bharat has done a promising job behind the stumps in his 5 Test appearances, it's his batting that has been found wanting. In 8 innings, Bharat averages only 18.42 with a best of 44. Team India expected Bharat to replicate the dynamism that Rishabh Pant brought to the Test side, but the 29-year-old has struggled.

With India starting a new WTC cycle, the door seems open for Ishan Kishan, who could play aggressively when he comes out at No.7. Kishan, who sneaked into the WTC final squad, averages 38.76 in 48 first-class matches with 6 tons. Hence, he could be a promising prospect until Pant returns.

4) Was Mohammed Shami required to be rested?

With Ishant Sharma out of sight for the BCCI, Mohammed Shami remains their most experienced first-choice seamer with 64 Test appearances.The selectors have also left out Umesh Yadav, who has played 57 Tests. However, Shami being rested means Mohammed Siraj, who has 19 Tests under his belt, will be the leader of the pace-bowling unit in the Caribbean.

Mukesh Kumar is yet to play international cricket, while Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, and Navdeep Saini only have 13 Test caps between them. While Siraj has shown promising signs of being the attack leader in the future, it could be a burden at this point.

5) Was Ajinkya Rahane the right choice as vice-captain?

Ajinkya Rahane might have earned selection for the West Indies tour with his promising outings in the WTC final, but was it right to reinstate him as vice-captain? He does have a calm head on his shoulders and has a promising captaincy record for a good measure.

However, going back to Rahane shows a lack of vision from the management. Shubman Gill could have been the apt candidate to become Rohit Sharma's deputy as he is likely to become the captain in the near future.

6) Why no place for the likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Priyank Panchal, or Abhimanyu Easwaran?

The absence of Sarfaraz Khan, Priyank Panchal, or Abhimanyu Easwaran begs the question of whether Ranji Trophy is the selection criteria for the Test side. While Jaiswal and Gaikwad have promising first-class numbers, the aforementioned trio have been consistent run-getters in the domestic circuit.

Have Jaiswal and Gaikwad earned selection based on their IPL performances? It's certainly one of the burning questions as Sarfaraz, Panchal, and Easwaran have failed to get a look for a long time.