Refreshed Virat Kohli and more India v West Indies Test series talking points

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  • Ready to return: Virat Kohli.

    India will be hoping to bounce back from their recent 4-1 Test series reverse against England when they begin a summer of home cricket against West Indies in Rajkot this week.

    The Men in Blue face the Caribbean outfit in a two-Test contest, beginning on Thursday (8:00 start UAE time), which is then quickly followed by five one-day international clashes and a long tour of Australia for India starting in November.

    It may have been a different format, but confidence in the Indian ranks should have been boosted after their 50-over Asia Cup success over Bangladesh late last month in Dubai.

    Here, we look at the key talking points before India and West Indies clash with the red-ball.

    REFRESHED AND REJUVENATED VIRAT KOHLI MEANS BUSINESS 

    Following the gruelling tour of Ireland and England, which began in late June and finished in mid-September, captain Virat Kohli was deservedly given some time off to recharge his batteries.

    Missing India’s entire Asia Cup campaign, which followed straight off the back of their assignments in the UK, raised eyebrows in some quarters – especially among the broadcast rights holders given there were two money-spinning televised matches against fierce rivals Pakistan – but it was the right call for Kohli and his longevity moving forward.

    Having answered his critics emphatically in England, scoring a series high 593 runs at 59.30 from 10 innings, a short break away has given the 29-year-old time to rest his back, which has caused him problems in the past.

    And while the temptation for India may be to look ahead to their tour Down Under later this year and the feast of cricket that awaits, Kohli has a job to do to lead from the front in this series as captain and premier batsman and help India back to winning ways in Test cricket.

    He will need to use all of his experience to guide uncapped trio; batsmen Prithi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, should two out of the three get the nod while he will be glad to have Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav back in the fold given both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah are rested while Ishant Sharma is injured.

    India are set to go with a five-man bowling attack, Hanuma Vihari missing out despite his impressive debut at The Oval.

    A MISMATCH ON PAPER BUT SERIES COULD BE CLOSER THAN MANY THINK 

    West Indies’ decline as a Test nation over the past decade and more has been well-documented and their incumbent eighth-place ICC Test ranking is certified evidence of that.

    Hence, an away tour to the No1-ranked Test nation has the hallmarks of a home win written all over it. However, Jason Holder’s men should be upbeat about at least competing given they beat Bangladesh 2-0 last time out and held Sri Lanka to a 1-1 draw back in June.

    In such a short series, anything can happen and getting a stranglehold of the momentum could prove crucial. While India have the experience and pedigree to thrive in home conditions having not lost on home turf since 2012-13 (against England), the Windies – providing they turn up with the right mentality and focus – could spring a surprise or too.

    Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, at 32, has reached a stage in his career where he knows his bowling inside in, inside out and should look at the way in which Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav have all enjoyed success with spin on turning tracks.

    Interestingly, though, the BCCI reportedly requested quicker pitches with pace, carry and a bit of bounce for this series – a far cry from typical surfaces in the subcontinent – to help India adjust to conditions that they will face against Australia later in 2018.

    If that is the case Holder and Shannon Gabriel could all thrive in a decision which could backfire on India somewhat.

    THE FUTURE IS NOW

    India’s bright new hope Prithvi Shaw is to be handed his Test debut and will open the batting alongside KL Rahul.

    Even though he is just 18, the Mumbai star has been banging at the door for a while and impressed for the Men in Blue’s A side.

    Having been part of the Indian squad for the final two Test matches against England, Shaw has been able to acclimatise to international cricket, seek advice from Kohli and build on more words of wisdom he has received from greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

    A wise head on young shoulders is a cliche often used and over-used but Shaw carries himself well and appears more than ready to perform under the watchful eyes of millions of people.

    It’s early days but he has the temperament to thrive as we have seen previously when he smashed centuries on his Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy debuts, respectively.

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