Focus on young turks

ROSEAU (DOMINICA): The Indian team is set to hit the transition button with much-anticipated debut of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the two-Test series against a wounded West Indies, which is searching for a road to redemption.

While the host, after its shock elimination from the ODI World Cup Qualifiers would be eager to prove that it is still relevant in world cricket, the Indian team too is beset with certain challenges.

Cheteshwar Pujara’s much-debated exit has created a slot in the Indian top-order and the immensely talented Mumbai left-hander will hope that he lives up to his name and promise that he has shown at the first-class level before being thrown at the deep end of the pool.

While the strait-jacketed solution is putting the debutant at one drop, Shubman Gill is more naturally suited in the middle-order. Jaiswal, 21, usually opens for Mumbai, West Zone and Rest of India in red-ball cricket.

But to settle his nerves first up, No. 3 isn’t a bad slot to begin with.

Against a bowling attack comprising seasoned Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Alazarri Joseph and Jason Holder, it will be a baptism by fire for young Jaiswal before he faces South Africa in Rainbow nation at the end of the year and the mighty Australians during the 2024-25 winter.

India’s new World Test Championship cycle will be a way tougher assignment compared to the previous two editions, when a set team reached back-to-back finals riding on a top-notch pace bowling unit. But in the absence of an injured Jasprit Bumrah, who might find it difficult to play Test matches on a regular basis and the skilful Mohammed Shami, rested for this series, the Indian attack would surely lack the sting that made the current team a world beater.

Of the two others, who were part of the famed quartet, Ishant Sharma will be making his commentary debut in this series while Umesh Yadav at 36, might find it difficult to get a recall after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Hence the five-man attack, led by 19-Test old Mohammed Siraj and supported by Shardul Thakur with nine long-form games in his kitty, does look really thin on experience in comparison to the West Indies pace attack.

It will again boil down to how West Indies measure up against the guile and artistry of Ravichandran Ashwin (474 wickets) and Ravindra Jadeja (268), who have close to 750 Test scalps between them.

The choice of four bowlers is automatic but picking one of Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat and Navdeep Saini might not be an easy proposition.

Similarly, with two spinners in operation Kona Bharath is a better bet behind the stumps than Ishan Kishan but the former is on borrowed time due to his performance in front of the wicket. Kishan’s flair and being a left-hander can’t be ignored for long till Rishabh Pant gets his place back in the side. The Windsor Park hasn’t hosted a Test match in the last six years but this is one format where the assortment Caribbean nations have been at their best in recent years.