“Tage” returns amongst 4 Guyanese for Windies Test tour

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Tuesday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series against India, scheduled for October 2–14 in Ahmedabad and Delhi. The series, part of the ICC World Test Championship, marks the team’s first away fixture of the new cycle and their first Test tour of India since 2018.

There are three changes from the squad that recently faced Australia: the returns of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze, along with a maiden Test call-up for left-arm spinner Khary Pierre.
Chanderpaul and Athanaze have been recalled to strengthen the top order, while Pierre earns his place as the second specialist spinner following standout performances in the West Indies Championship, where he topped the wicket charts with 41 scalps at an average of 13.56.
Opener and former captain Kraigg Brathwaite, along with Keacy Carty and Mikyle Louis, are the notable omissions from the red-ball squad. In addition to Chanderpaul, the Guyanese contingent includes Kevlon Anderson, Tevin Imlach, and Shamar Joseph.
The selectors have opted to rest Gudakesh Motie for this series, mindful of the demands of the upcoming limited-overs schedule, highlighted by the ICC T20 World Cup in February–March next year.
Head Coach Daren Sammy acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting that facing one of the world’s top-ranked teams on its home soil will be valuable experience for the squad.
“Playing in the subcontinent always presents a challenge, and we have selected a team to be competitive in these conditions,” said Sammy. “This will be our second series together as a test team, but we have already shown what we are capable of as a unit once we are committed to our brand and plans of the team.”
Sammy added, “The return of Tagenarine Chanderpaul is to help transform our fortunes at the top of the order given the recent struggles, with Alick Athanaze being added for his strengths and qualities against spin bowling. Khary is included for the first time as our second spinner in what we expect to be helpful conditions.”
Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe underscored the thinking behind the squad selection: “Our approach to squad selection continues to be calculated and deliberate. We consider the opposition, the playing conditions, and the skill sets required to be successful against specific opposition. The inclusion of players has therefore been guided not only by their recent performances but also by identifying who within our pool is best suited to deliver positive results on these surfaces against this quality of opposition. At the same time, we are conscious of building continuity and depth in our Test squad as we look to compete consistently throughout this World Test Championship cycle.”
The team will depart the Caribbean on September 22 and is scheduled to arrive in Ahmedabad on September 24.
The West Indies Test squad is as follows: Captain Roston Chase, Vice-Captain Jomel Warrican, Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre and Jayden Seales.