West Indies v India First Test Tips: Beware another slow India start

• West Indies might catch india cold

• Muggy conditions expected

• Brathwaite and rahane catch eye

West Indies v India
Wednesday 12, 15:00
TV: Live on BT Sport

West Indies First Test team news

The good news for West Indies is that there are only four players involved from their shambolic and disgraceful World Cup qualifier campaign thus granting an opportunity to show they are respectable, at home at least, in the toughest format.

They have some gritty players, too. Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood stand out with the bat, keeper Josh Da Silva is durable. With the ball, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph and Jason Holder are a strong pace attack. There is little spin threat, though. Jomel Warrican has done well on the road but has played only one Test at home in three years.

It is also far from ideal that their batting stock is so limited that Raymon Reifer and Rahkeem Cornwall could be batting in the middle order.

Possible XI: Brathwaite, Chanderpaul, Reifer, Blackwood, Cornwall, McKenzie, De Silva, Holder, Joseph, Roach, Warrican

India First Test team news

India start a new Test cycle and they have resisted the temptation to pick a discovery team. There's no room for Sarfaraz Khan, for example, who has been destroying attack in domestic cricket.

Instead Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravi Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja go again. Of the old guard Cheteshwar Pujara has been discarded. Ruturaj Gaikwad could get the chance to nail the No 3 slot.

As ever there will be debate over whether India go with Ravi Ashwin or Axar Patel. If they want an extra pace option Shardul Thakur could play. Thakur may steal a seamer slot to lengthen the batting.

Probable XI: Rohit, Gill, Gaikwad, Kohli, Rahane, Jadeja, Bharat, Ashwin, Saini, Siraj, Unadkat

West Indies v India First Test pitch report

There have been only five Tests played at Windsor Park, Roseau. None have been in the last five years. The most recent was the 2017 Test involving Pakistan. It was a classic Test pitch which deteriorated with spinner Yasir Shah bowling out Windies in the fourth. Spin could well be important.

There are forecast showers for days one and five but it would be a surprise if there was enough rain to influence the result. Conditions are otherwise overcast and could aid swing.

West Indies runs are set up for a short. In 19 of their last 26 first-innings they have failed to pass 300. They've gone under 250 seven times. We might get the opportunity to short from the outset at around 273.5. An in-play strategy is to short their runs if the par line creeps up to that 300 mark with a partnership. Collapse is never far away.

West Indies v India First Test match odds

India are as short as 1.42/5 with West Indies 9.08/1 and the draw 5.79/2. There is potential movement in the draw price and Windies for back-to-lays, the former because of the weather forecast and the latter because of India's potential ponderous start.

As discussed ahead of the World Test Championship final, India have a poor record in the first Test of an away series. It's now just six wins in their last 18.

It is not out of the realms of possibility that in muggy conditions, an underprepared India batting line-up lose cheap, quick wickets. We note Sportsbook's 7/24.50 that they manage a first-innings lead.

West Indies v India First Test player bets

Virat Kohli is 5/23.50 jolly for top India bat in the first dig with Rohit Sharma 10/34.33. But it is Ajinkya Rahane who catches the eye at an inflated 6/17.00 after winning in the WTC.

For West Indies Kraigg Brathwaite should be shorter than the 10/34.33 on win rate. His first-innings runs at over 23.5 look cheap, too, at 5/61.84. He is 23/103.30 for a first-innings fifty with Blackwood also notable at 11/43.75. In the event of a disastrous West Indies effort we wonder whether the 100/1101.00 about Kemar Roach is way too big for top bat.

Roach will be a go-to for top bowler for the hosts at 5/23.50 but his win rate has waned over the last couple of years. Joseph looks the value at 3/14.00.

If the pitch is a crumbler and West Indies are batting last, ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin will have been solid man of the magtch value at 14/115.00 and 16/117.00 respectively.

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