Predicting 3 players who would score the most runs in the 1st Test between IND and WI
Team India will begin their journey in the Caribbeans with a two-match Test series. The first Test against the West Indies will be played at Windsor Park in Dominica, starting on Wednesday, July 12.
This will be India's first assignment since their defeat in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in London last month.
Rohit Sharma and Co. have made some key changes to their squad ahead of the new WTC cycle.
Young left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has been added to the squad and he will make his debut in Dominica. Shubman Gill, on the other hand, will slot in as India's new No. 3 in place of Cheteshwar Pujara.
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West Indies, on the other hand, have picked up a relatively young squad for the Test series as they are still going through a transition.
The hosts will heavily rely on their skipper Kraigg Brathwaite and veteran all-rounder Jason Holder to do the bulk of the job.
On that note, let's take a look at three players who would score the most runs in the first Test between India and West Indies.
#1 Virat Kohli
Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli is the only player from the current squad who has played in Dominica during the Men in Blue's last tour in 2011-12.
The right-handed batter scored 30 runs in the first innings and didn't get to bat in the second essay as the game ended in a draw.
A lot has happened since then and Kohli has evolved to become one of the best batters in the world. He will look to use his past knowledge and strive to attain success over the next five days.
The Delhi-born batter is India's highest run-scorer in 2023 so far, accumulating 360 runs in eight innings at an average of 45, including a century.
#2 Tagenarine Chanderpaul
Since making his debut in November last year, Tagenarine Chanderpaul has been in superb form with the bat, leading his side from the front.
While he has only six Tests under his belt, the southpaw has shown great pedigree to succeed at the highest level.
The youngster is West Indies' leading run-scorer in the red-ball format in 2023, amassing 293 runs in seven innings at an average of 48.83.
Chanderpaul had a good outing against Australia and will hope to make the best use of that experience against a heavyweight like India.
#3 Rohit Sharma
While his recent form has been under the clouds, Rohit Sharma has had a good outing in the longest format of the game in 2023 so far.
The Indian skipper has scored 300 runs in five matches at an average of 37.50, including a century.
Dominica is known to produce some extra bounce and given that Rohit is a good player of short-pitch deliveries, he has a high probability of being successful on this wicket.
Rohit will be keen to silence his critics with a big knock in the upcoming Test and lead the team from the front.