After suffering a confidence-shattering defeat to India in the first Test that saw captain Kraigg Brathwaite drop, West Indies have made one change to their squad for the second Test, which starts on July 20 at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. Left-handed batsman Raymon Reifer, who scored 2 and 11 while batting at No. 3 in the series opener, was dropped for the second Test.
The Desmond Haynes-led West Indies selection committee has decided to hand bowling all-rounder Kevin Sinclair a first Test call-up. However, Reifer will remain part of the team as injury cover.
Prominent off-spinner, Sinclair has 11 wickets from seven one-day internationals. Sinclair played 18 first-class games at an average of 29 with the bat and 23.98 with the ball. The Guyanese cricketer performed well in the four-day matches against Bangladesh A earlier this year and returned as the highest wicket-taker with 13 wickets in three matches. He was also part of the ODI squad in the World Cup qualifiers.
There were question marks over the availability of Rahkeem Cornwall, who ended up out of the corkscrew after leaving the field on Day 2 due to illness, but was cleared to play the second Test.
The rest of the team remained the same, with Kemar Roach, Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph leading the pace of the attack and Cornwall and Jomel Warrican as spin options.
West Indies were outclassed in all departments by a rampant Indian side. The hosts were bowled out for 150 after opting to bat first as Ashwin took 5/60. In response, debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Rohit Sharma smashed centuries as India kept West Indies at bay for 152 overs before declaring the innings on Day 3 at 421/5.
Instead of a better show in the second innings, West Indies were bowled over. Ashwin picked up seven wickets to bowl out the helpless looking hosts for 130 in over one and a half sessions.
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