After suffering a humiliating 209-run defeat against Australia in the ICC World Test Championship Final 2023, the Indian team will take on the West Indies in a multi-format series starting July 12. Cricket West Indies (CWI) has recently released a schedule. The series will begin with the first Test match at Windsor Park, Roseau in Dominica.
West Indies is currently involved in the ICC ODI World Cup Qualifier 2023 in Zimbabwe. They won the opening game against the United States and are favorites to reach the final on July 9. Hence, CWI is looking at rescheduling the date of the first Test to give adequate rest to its players ahead of the India series.
The West Indies usually field separate teams under different captains for red-ball cricket and white-ball matches. But due to the importance of a World Cup spot, players like Jason Holders, Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase and Alzarri Joseph are taking part in the qualifiers. It is expected that these four players will also be a part of their Test team for the India series.
However, the CWI official revealed that they may recall Test players already inducted from the qualifiers as the final would be meaningless for the West Indies. The final will give both teams a place in the World Cup, so the dates of the first Test match are unlikely to change.
“We have many options, but first we have to qualify for the CWC,” a CWI official told Cricbuzz on June 21. “The final of the CWCQ is meaningless, so our Test players will not participate. But first, we need to.” Make sure we reach the final.”
The Indian team, on the other hand, last played in the WTC Finals 2023 from June 7-12 and is going through a much-needed break. The BCCI is yet to announce the squad for the West Indies tour but the board is planning to send its Test team to West Indies on July 1 to start preparations soon.