Dominica, July 4: Ramnaresh Sarwan, the West Indies No. 3 batsman, has been dropped for the third and final Test against India. 21-year-old Kieran Powell will replace Sarwan in the only change made by the West Indies Cricket Board to the 13-man squad.

Sarwan’s dip in form has been the sole reason for his ouster. The once prolific batsman has scored only 83 runs in four innings against India while in the previous series against Pakistan, he managed only 54 runs in the same number of innings.

Clyde Butts, chairman of the selection committee, put in a good word for Sarwan nonetheless. “Ramnaresh is having a difficult time and it is best for him to make way and allow a player in better form to contribute to the team totals. We have no doubt about Ramnaresh's class as a batsman; he has proven himself countless times in the past and we are certain that he will return stronger in the near future,” he said.

Kieran Powell, who hails from the Leeward Islands, has not played a Test match in his short international career. He has represented West Indies in two ODIs but hasn’t had much success, scoring only five runs cumulatively in both games.

The third Test between the two teams gets underway on July 6 at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica. West Indies trail India 0-1 in the three-match series.

West Indies squad: Darren Sammy (c), Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh (wk), Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Devendra Bishoo, Kirk Edwards, Kemar Roach and Kieran Powell