Match facts
July 30-August 3, 2016
Start time 1000 local (1500 GMT)
Big Picture
West Indies last beat India in Test cricket in 2002, at Sabina Park in Jamaica. They have had three close Tests since. Two of these three Tests were played in Jamaica. It is the venue that gives them the best chance to compete with India. In the last three Tests between the two sides in Kingston, only once did a team go past 300 and only one of the three Tests entered the fifth day, that too to complete formalities of three remaining wickets. Eighteen years and 15 Tests have gone since a Test was drawn of its own volition in Jamaica.
Sabina Park's bowler-friendly pitch bridges the gap between the hosts' attack and India's; it also draws them out of their bunkers. On both of India's last visits to the West Indies, only Sabina Park produced a result. The endeavour has been to stay safe at other venues, and then sneak one up on India in Kingston. This year, though, the Test side has slipped so far it registered its biggest home defeat on a fairly good batting surface in the series opener in Antigua.
The plan was from the template: a track with no terrors, a side stacked up with batsmen, go to Jamaica 0-0 and then see how India fare against the seaming ball. It's a sound plan against a better team, but the problem with defensive cricket is that you have to play it excellently for long periods of time. Neither their batsmen nor their bowlers could do it for nearly long enough; not having a defensive option in Jamaica can only do them good now.
India's batsmen came through way better when they were stalled through defensive lines in Antigua. This will be a different test. While not a scary proposition, West Indies have reinforced their attack, adding Under-19 sensation Alzarri Joseph to the squad. The pitch looked neon green two mornings before the Test. India won their last two close Tests here thanks to Rahul Dravid masterclasses; if West Indies bowlers turn up, India might need something similar from their batsmen.
Form guide
West Indies LDLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWDW
In the spotlight
During the Antigua Test, Darren Bravo became only the 24th West Indies batsman to reach 3000 career runs. By the end of this series he will have played 46 Tests. Given Marlon Samuels' indifferent Test career, Bravo should be considered the batting mainstay of this West Indies side. In the Antigua defeat, he happened to play two irresponsible shots: laze angled-bat pushes to short-of-a-length balls well away from his body. West Indies need much better from him.
If it is going to be a green seamer at Sabina park, it might just be time to dial Ajinkya Rahane, who has been scoring tough runs for India through his career. He was one of India's two specialist batsmen to fall to legbreak long hops in Antigua. There might not be room for such concentration breaks in Jamaica, especially if he is India's last specialist batsman again.
Team news
Even if West Indies had managed to draw Antigua through defensive tactics, it was always expected they would strengthen their attack, which had only two specialist bowlers in Antigua. That the ploy failed has only reinforced the need for a change in strategy. Either Miguel Cummins, who was in the squad for the first Test, or Joseph, or both, should make it to the XI. Carlos Brathwaite or Jermaine Blackwood or both could sit out. Brathwaite, though, bowled with discipline and scored a valiant half-century in the second innings.
West Indies (probable): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Rajendra Chandrika, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood/Leon Johnson/Carlos Brathwaite, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt.), 9 Shannon Gabriel, 10 Miguel Cummins/Alzarri Joseph, 11 Devendra Bishoo
M Vijay has been ruled out with the thumb injury he sustained when he was dismissed on the first morning of the first Test. He played no further part in the match. KL Rahul will slot into the XI in his place. A testing-looking pitch may have sown thoughts of playing an extra batsman at No. 6, but Virat Kohli indicated India would continue with their five-bowler strategy, and said a second spinner may still be required for India to take ten wickets in the second innings.
India(probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt.), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 R Ashwin, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 Amit Mishra, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Umesh Yadav
Pitch and conditions
The pitch had a healthy covering of grass on the eve of the Test match, and Virat Kohli welcomed what he referred to as a "result wicket". While the fast bowlers would normally be expected to do the bulk of the bowling and take the bulk of the wickets, he felt the spinners could also come into play, particularly in the second innings, given the amount of bounce expected. A moderately heavy shower hit Kingston soon after India's practice session had ended on Friday afternoon. Rain is forecast for all five days of the Test as well.
Stats and trivia
Since 2006, Sabina Park has clocked the best numbers for fast bowlers among venues that have hosted at least five Tests: best average (22.12) and best strike rate (48.8). Overall too the bowlers have registered the best average here since 2006: 24.74.
Ishant Sharma averages 19.21 in the West Indies. He played a crucial role in India's win in Kingston last time around, taking six wickets in the match.
R Ashwin needs 17 wickets in next three Tests to join Clarrie Grimmett as the fastest man to 200 Test wickets, in 36 matches.
Quotes
"In the last Test we got starts but couldn't carry on. Both our batsmen and bowlers need to be more consistent."
West Indies captain Jason Holder looks at the things his team can change for the second Test
"When you win there's not that much room for change unless the conditions are drastically different, which they are not. There's pace and bounce here, and I think this will help the spinners in the second innings as well."
India captain Virat Kohli hints strongly at playing five bowlers as in Antigua, and retaining a three-seamer/two-spinner combination
