West Indies vs India 1st Test 2019: Preview, Venue, Date, Time, Telecast, Squads, Head to Head stats and more

Team India will kick start their ICC World Test Championship campaign when they take on West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on 22nd August. After a near clinical performance in the ODI and T20I series, Virat Kohli and his men will look to stamp their authority in the longest format of the game too.

The Men in Blue must not take the hosts lightly as they surprised everyone by beating England last year. The likes of Kemar Roach, Shanon Gabriel and Jason Holder can torment any batting line-up on any given day. Their batting is also in good hands with the likes of Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer contributing towards their team's cause on a consistent basis.

On the other hand, the World No 1 side will have to sort out several issues in the middle order. The major cause of concern will be the form of vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who has failed to convert starts into big scores. It would also be interesting to see where the team management fit in Hanuma Vihari and in-form Rohit Sharma. The series also presents a chance for Rishabh Pant to stake his claim in the Test arena despite Wriddhiman Saha's presence. Also, the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma would bolster the bowling attack. In the spin department, there would be a tussle between Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin for a spot in the eleven.

Match Details:

Venue: Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground,  North Sound, Antigua

Date: 22nd August to 26th August 2019

Time: The match will begin at 1900 HRS IST

Telecast: The match will be telecast on the Sony Network on Sony Ten1, Sony Ten1 HD, Sony Ten 3 and Sony Ten 3 HD. The match will also be streamed on the Sony Liv app.

Squads:

India: Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarwal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant (wk), Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Umesh Yadav and Wriddhiman Saha (wk).

West Indies: Jason Holder (c), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich (wk), Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Keemo Paul and Kemar Roach.

Head to Head Statistics:

Played - 96, West Indies - 30, India - 20, Draw - 46

Venue Statistics:

Highest total: 566 for 8 by India vs West Indies

Lowest total: 43 by Bangladesh vs West Indies

Avg first innings score: 290

Avg second innings score: 354

Avg third innings score: 226

Avg fourth innings score: 183