IND vs WI: Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel Avoid Practice Session Ahead Of 1st Test– Here’s Why

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IND vs WI: Just two days after clinching the Asia Cup 2025 title, the Indian cricket team regrouped at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to begin preparations for the upcoming World Test Championship series against the West Indies.

While most of the squad turned up for an intense practice session, three key players - Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel - were notably absent, given a short break to recover from the taxing continental tournament.

The rest of the squad, led by new Test captain Shubman Gill and overseen by head coach Gautam Gambhir, arrived late on Monday and trained for nearly three hours on Tuesday. With the first Test starting on Thursday, India faces a quick turnaround, making workload management a top priority for the support staff.

The session began with light warm-ups before players shifted focus to fielding and net practice. Batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Dhruv Jurel had extended stints in the nets, facing a mix of pacers and spinners. The middle order, featuring B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal, also impressed with fluent stroke play. However, skipper Gill had a testing time against the pace attack, edging deliveries and even taking a sharp blow on the gloves. Despite the challenge, he batted across multiple nets, working on adjustments ahead of his first home Test as captain.

Among bowlers, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna stood out with lively spells, generating bounce and pace in helpful conditions. Both pacers had recently played against Australia A and looked in rhythm. Coach Gambhir, meanwhile, made repeated inspections of the surface, hinting at strategic planning for team balance.

Selection discussions are likely to revolve around the extra batting option. Devdutt Padikkal, fresh off a 150 in an unofficial Test, looked strong in practice, while Nitish Reddy offered the advantage of a seam-bowling all-rounder. The management could lean toward Reddy to strengthen the pace unit alongside Siraj and Bumrah.

As for the visitors, the West Indies were restricted to indoor nets due to rain, getting only half an hour of practice. With conditions expected to favour spin, Kuldeep Yadav - despite missing this session - will be a major threat when the action begins.