'We might be tempted to go with...': Shubman Gill shares massive update on India's playing XI for 1st Test against West Indies

India captain Shubman Gill has hinted that the side may include a third pacer in their playing XI for the first Test against West Indies that is set to commence from October 2. Notably, India have picked three seamers for the series in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and they can all be seen in action in the first Test. The match is set to be played at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad and the conditions there may see the Men in Blue go in with a pace-heavy attack.

Though Gill did say that the team management may decide to go for three pacers in the playing XI, he also stated that the final call on the matter will be taken after they take a look at the pitch in the morning.

ALSO READ: Will Jasprit Bumrah feature in Test series against West Indies? Captain Shubman Gill shares clear-cut answer

“You’ll know our playing XI tomorrow. Yes, looking at the conditions, we might be tempted to go with a third seamer. But there’s still time. In the morning we’ll see how much moisture is in the wicket and then take a call," Gill said in the pre-match press-conference.

Gill's verdict on the Ahmedabad pitch

Gill also shared his take on the type of pitch that they want for the match and stated that wickets should offer something to both the batters and bowlers. He further went on to say that West Indies' main challenges on Indian pitches will be spin and reverse swing.

“I can’t say what the conversations were before I became the captain but we want wickets that offer something to both batters and bowlers. That said, everyone knows that in India the challenges are spin and reverse swing. If visiting teams handle those well, they’ll succeed. Keeping that in mind, we’ll look for balance," Gill stated.

Where do India and West Indies stand on WTC rankings?

Meanwhile, the upcoming two-match Test series will be the second red-ball assignment for both India and West Indies in the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. While India drew their five-match series against England by 2-2, West Indies suffered a series whitewash at home to Australia. The Men in Blue currently stand third on the WTC points table while on the other hand, West Indies are on sixth and are yet to record their first victory of the cycle.

India's squad for West Indies Tests: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Narayan Jagadeesan (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav.