2nd Test: India Sticks with Same XI, West Indies Make Two Changes with Phillip and Imlach

India, Oct 10 : India won the toss and opted to bat first in the second and final Test against the West Indies at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday. The hosts lead the two match series 1-0 after a dominant victory in the first Test by an innings and 140 runs at Ahmedabad.

Shubman Gill, who claimed his first toss win as India’s Test captain, said the decision to bat was driven by the aim to post a big total on a pitch expected to favor spinners later in the match. “The wicket looks good to bat on Day 1. We want to pile on the runs,” Gill said. “We aim to maintain consistency and intensity across matches. The responsibility is greater now, but it’s an exciting journey for me across all formats.”

The West Indies have made two changes to their playing XI, bringing in pacer Anderson Phillip and wicketkeeper-batter Tevin Imlach in place of Brandon King and Johann Layne. Skipper Roston Chase explained that Phillip was added for his early strike capabilities with the new ball, while Imlach provides more stability against spin.

“We would have batted first anyway as the pitch looks dry. Our plan is to bat long and play each delivery on its merit. Imlach is experienced on these types of surfaces,” Chase said.

Pitch experts described the surface as a “pitch of two halves,” with live grass patches giving way to bald areas that will assist spinners as the game progresses. Ian Bishop noted the dual nature of the track, while Deep Dasgupta suggested it could play two-paced despite its initial patchy appearance.

Playing XI:

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

West Indies: John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope, Roston Chase (c), Tevin Imlach (wk), Justin Greaves, Jomel Warrican, Khary Pierre, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales