India vs West Indies Match Prediction: Who will win today's 2nd Test match?
In case you've been living under a rock, Team India won by a whopping innings and 141 runs in the opening Test against West Indies in Roseau. The visitors didn't even need to exhaust all their resources in the only innings they batted, losing only five wickets before declaring without any aggressive batting prior to the decision.
It doesn't take a genius to understand which team is the favorite to triumph in the second Test, which will commence in Port of Spain on Thursday, July 20. Even if you turn a blind eye to the previous game, there are two decades of results that prove that the Windies are a clearly inferior Test side. They last beat India in a Test in 2002.
That was clearly evident in the way Rohit Sharma and Co. went about their business in the opening Test. Yashasvi Jaiswal brushed aside his opening blues to notch up a sensational century, the first of many. Rohit gave him company at the other end in a classy fashion.
Not to be outdone, Ravichandran Ashwin ran through the West Indies batting lineup like a hot knife through butter. A knife that was safely stored in the dugout during the World Test Championship (WTC) final; a knife that is raring to slice upwards and continues its march along the all-time wicket-takers rankings.
Things aren't looking too bright for the home side, who are facing an uphill battle to take any WTC points away from the two-time finalists. The weather isn't looking too bright either, with rain forecasted on all five days in Port of Spain.
India vs West Indies Match Prediction: Rohit Sharma and Co. look to seal first series of WTC 2023-25 cycle
If the weather permits, India clearly have the resources to whitewash the Windies once again. They aren't expected to make any changes to their side, although they might be tempted to bring in Axar Patel if the surface is like the one that was on offer in Dominica.
Jaiswal and Rohit will hold the key again, and West Indies' slim hopes of salvaging something from the contest will come from dismissing them early and then attacking the underperforming middle order. Virat Kohli hasn't been as formidable at the crease as he once was, while Ajinkya Rahane has always been an inconsistent Test batter despite his stellar record in the Caribbean.
But even if the hosts manage to make some inroads and put the Indian batting lineup under pressure, it's hard to imagine them having the batting might to stave off the opposition bowlers. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had their way with the Windies batters in the opening Test, and the pacers chipped in as well.
Anything can happen in a game of cricket, but all the signs point towards a convincing Indian win - weather permitting, of course.
Prediction: India to win the second Test vs West Indies.