What

First Test of the two-match series between India and West Indies

When

November 6 to 10, 2013

Where

Eden Gardens Stadium, Kolkata

The Teams

India

The biggest challenge ahead of the Indian team in this series is staying away from all the hype created around it. While the nation treats these two Tests as a farewell to Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and boys will strive to see it as just another Test series they are set out to win.

The decision-making as far as the team composition goes, will revolve around the middle and the lower order. Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane will fight for the No.6 spot while it will be interesting to see if Ishant Sharma gets a crack at the Eden after his off-colour ODI series against Australia. In the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, Dhoni might also contemplate playing three spinners on the track that assists the tweakers after breaking up.

West Indies

The men from the Caribbean are no strangers to the Indian conditions, given they play on similar track back home. Led by Darren Sammy and with the top-order firepower of Chris Gayle, this team is capable of pulling off some surprises on the Indians. However, given India’s strong home record, the visitors will start off as underdogs. Like the Indians, they too will expect more from their spinners than the faster men. The batting will remain on the shoulders of Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Key Players

India

While the spotlight will remain fixed on a certain Sachin Tendulkar, this series could mark the beginning of a new Test career for either of his fellow Mumbai lads, Rohit or Rahane. Whoever grabs the No.6 spot, will know that only a big score from their bat will keep them ahead in the competition. It will be interesting to see who will bat at the crucial middle-order position – the man who started off as an opener and became a middle-order bat or the one who has achieved the recent success opening in ODIs after manning the middle-order throughout his first-class career.

West Indies

When it comes to picking the key for West Indies’ success, you need not look beyond the charismatic Chris Gayle. His limited overs exploits on the Indian land are well documented and it is well within his reach to convert them into Test success. If he gets going, the inexperienced Indian pace lineup could be in for some heartbreak.

Statistics

Head to Head

Series summary

Highest totals

India : 644-7d,Kanpur,1978-79

West Indies : 644-8d,Delhi, 1958-59

Lowest totals

India : 75, Delhi, 1987-88

West Indies : 103,Kingston,2006

Individual hundreds

India : 77

West Indies : 101

Highest individual innings

India : 236*,SM Gavaskar,Chennai,1983-84

West Indies : 256, RB Kanhai,Kolkata,1958-59

Best bowling in an innings

India : 9/83 Kapil Dev,Ahmedabad,1983-84

West Indies : 9/95 JM Noreiga,Port-of-Spain,1970-71

Best bowling in a match

India : 16/136, ND Hirwani, Chennai, 1987-88

West Indies : 12/121, AME Roberts, Chennai, 1974-75

Trivia

Last time West Indies beat India in a series in India was in December 1983 when Clive Lloyd led West Indies beat Kapil Dev led India 3-0 in a 6 match series. Since then India have won two series, whereas two series have been drawn.

West Indies have won three out of nine Tests at Eden Gardens, but only one out of seven at Wankhede.

Since 2000 West Indies have lost 69 Tests – most by any side in this period. They are followed by Bangladesh (67), New Zealand (47), England (47) and Pakistan (44).

A century will give Sachin Tendulkar the record of most first-class centuries by an Indian, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar’s tally of 81 centuries

The Squads

India: MS Dhoni (c, wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav.

West Indies: Darren Sammy (c), Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Darren Bravo, Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Tino Best, Sheldon Cottrell, Narsingh Deonarine, Kirk Edwards, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Shane Shillingford, Chadwick Walton.