The Sports Desk
Daren Sammy believes that his seaming quartet can create history in India as West Indies plans to play two Tests beginning with the October 2 opener in Ahmedabad. Sammy feels the mix of Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales and Anderson Phillip and allrounder Justin Greaves provides sufficient variety and depth to avenge 20 wickets in one innings on Indian territories – something he says will be key to clinch game time.
“We’ve put ourselves in a place where our seam attack could bowl in any conditions. That six to eight-metre length works around the world,” Sammy said, accentuating the special qualities of his bowlers. “You’ve got Shamar Joseph, who is very skiddy, Jayden who swings both ways and Alzarri Joseph with height that gets bounce. If you don’t take 20 wickets in India, you’re on the backfoot and we think we’ve got a line-up that can do so.”
West Indies have not won a series in India for 42 years, but Sammy is taking confidence from New Zealand’s clean sweep of India in late 2024. “New Zealand went there and were fantastic. We should be inspired by that, meaning what they did in those conditions and trying to emulate that with our guys,” he added.
Sammy, who is coaching in the current CPL as well with the St Lucia Kings, said he had used time with Test captain Roston Chase to formulate plans for India. “It’s about providing belief and putting it together with preparation. We’re not going to India to only play – we’re going there to win,” he insisted.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze are the notable inclusions of the squad. Chanderpaul, whose last Test was in January 2024, was averaging in the mid-40s in domestic cricket before injury intervened and offered patience and proven skill against spin – necessities at the top of the order in India. Athanaze, in the meantime, was always on the cards for a recall with selectors viewing his technique as conducive to spin friendly conditions. They were included at the expense of dismissed former captain Kraigg Brathwaite.
Jason Holder was also thought over, but Sammy stated that Justin Greaves would be required to play the kind of role he was bought for. In spin, the unit includes Jomel Warrican, Chase, and uncapped left-armer Khary Pierre. Gudakesh Motie has been rested to monitor his workload in the lead-up to a busy year, but Sammy said he would be a force across all formats.
Pierre is added to the Test squad after being named as the leading wicket-taker in the 2025 West Indies Championship, with 13.56 with the ball. “[He’s] really durable and consistent, so everybody here enjoys him” Jamal Smith is CWI’s senior talent manager “Tim has been around for quite a long time now and he’s the guy who probably hasn’t gotten too many opportunities as of late. Pierre, who has 111 wickets from 35 first-class matches at an average of 22.81, last played red-ball cricket for West Indies A during the year against South Africa A.
The two-Test series starts in Ahmedabad on October 2 and the second match is in Delhi from October 10. And for Sammy and his men, the uphill task is to apply brakes on them but coach feels they have a firepower in their bowling that can be instrumental to force history.
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