India’s assistant coach confirms unchanged playing XI for second Test against West Indies

India’s assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, has confirmed that the home side will likely stick with an unchanged playing XI for the upcoming second Test against the West Indies. The series decider will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, with Shubman Gill leading the side. Doeschate’s comments indicate that India will not rest key pacer Jasprit Bumrah, despite already leading the two-match series 1-0.

In the pre-match press conference, Doeschate hinted that the same group of players who featured in the Ahmedabad Test would take the field again. His remarks effectively ruled out any major shake-up in the lineup. The assistant coach also stressed India’s long-term vision of developing young talents like Nitish Reddy into dependable all-rounders for overseas tours.

While Bumrah’s inclusion seems certain, Doeschate highlighted that the management’s decision to persist with Nitish Reddy was part of a bigger plan. He said, “I'd say we're unlikely to change the combination. One of the sort of medium-term objectives is to develop a seam-bowling all-rounder for India, because it's very important when we go away on tours that we have that position covered. We didn't get a very good look at Nitish last week, so I think it's a very good opportunity to give Nitish another go and not alter the balance of the team.”

Sudharsan Under Pressure as Jurel’s Form Strengthens His Case

B Sai Sudharsan endured a tough start to the series, scoring just seven runs in the opening Test. In contrast, Dhruv Jurel shone brightly, smashing a brilliant century that played a crucial role in India’s dominant victory. With Jurel’s impressive form, there’s a strong chance he could be retained as a specialist batter even after Rishabh Pant’s eventual return to the squad.

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Doeschate acknowledged the competition within the team, noting that Sudharsan is aware of the challenges ahead. “I think he is under no illusion and he can't hide away from the fact that you do fight for a spot in this environment, where you saw Karun Nair get four Test matches in England [before getting dropped for the West Indies series]. There are a lot of good players fighting up the hill to whoever has possession of that spot,” he said. “I'd imagine it does put pressure on Sai Sudharsan. I think Dhruv showed last week just what a good player he is... there are other good players fighting for a top-three or top-four spot – obviously Shubman’s got four nailed down.”

Based on his statements, India are expected to stick to their winning combination from the Ahmedabad Test, with Padikkal, Axar Patel, Jagadeesan, and Prasidh Krishna likely to miss out on selection once again.