Team India is gearing up for its first cricket series in over a month after the disappointment of the World Test Championship (WTC) final. A month-long break amidst the busy schedule is a rarity for the Indian men's cricket team but the break was important for the team to recharge their batteries given it's a long season ahead and important five months including the Asia Cup, followed by the World Cup.
Team India will be up against West Indies in a two-match Test series followed by ODIs and T20Is in a multi-format tour. The two-match series will also mark the beginning of India's campaign in the new World Test Championship cycle. The first of the two-match series will take place at Dominica's Windsor Park.
This is the first Test taking place in Roseau in six years. Only five Test matches have taken place at the venue so far with India and West Indies playing the first one back in 2011. As Test cricket returns to Dominica and the Indian team too play at the venue after 12 long years, former captain Virat Kohli shared a heartwarming post ahead of the series opener.
Kohli, who is the only active member from the side that played in the 2011 Test shared a picture with head coach Rahul Dravid. Both might be in different capacities now from then but they are the only two members from that team associated with the national side currently.
"The only two guys part of the last test we played at Dominica in 2011. Never imagined the journey would bring us back here in different capacities. Highly grateful," Kohli wrote.
That Test match ended in a draw as the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Murali Vijay and Rahul Dravid helped India survive a magnificent Shivnarine Chanderpaul knock in the second innings. The four matches after the inaugural clash at Windsor Park all saw a result as Australia won a couple of times while Pakistan ended up victorious once against the hosts in 2017. West Indies' only win at the venue came in 2013 when they won by an innings and 65 runs against Zimbabwe.
While India will be hoping to join the likes of Australia and Pakistan on the list to have won a Test in Dominica, the Windies will be eager to topple a big team and improve their record at this very ground.
