Coolidge (Antigua),
Aug 16:
Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane along with a well-rested Jasprit Bumrah will be aiming for some quality game time when India take on West Indies Cricket Board XI in a three-day warm-up game starting on Saturday ahead of two-match series.
With skipper Virat Kohli sustaining a right thumb injury during the third ODI, the team management would like to exercise precaution and may be rest their best player before World Test championship opener.
Kohli has been in phenomenal form and has led India from the front in the limited-overs series. After scoring 106 runs in the three T20s, Kohli garnered 234 runs, including two centuries, in the two ODIs while the first one-dayer was called off due to rains after playing 13 overs.
After whitewashing West Indies 3-0 in the T20 International series, India continued their winning spree and pocketed the three-match ODI rubber 2-0. A win in the Test series starting August 22 will be the first time that India would have won across all formats on Caribbean soil.
For one of India’s batting mainstays in longest format, Pujara will be playing a competitive red ball game after a good six months having last appeared in the Ranji Trophy final for Saurashtra a good six months back.
Rahane, skipper Virat Kohli’s deputy in this format, didn’t exactly set the English County on fire scoring only 307 runs in seven games with a hundred and a fifty and sub-par average of 23.61.
Rahane has had a prolonged bad patch in Tests also and this tour will be crucial for the Mumbaikar and a good hit in the warm-up is the kind of start he would be looking at.
Bumrah, who had a strenuous six months till World Cup has now freshened up and the practice game would be more about hitting the straps and getting some rhythm back after a month-long rest.
The practice game will give a chance for the players who are already here in the West Indies to shift from limited overs to five-day format and from white-ball to red-ball cricket. (PTI)
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