Shardul Thakur vs Axar Patel - who should feature in India's XI for the 1st Test vs West Indies 

Team India will begin their third cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) with a two-match series against the West Indies.

The Men in Blue hold a formidable record against the Windies since the onset of the millennium. West Indies last won a Test against India back in 2002, and as a result, have an uphill task ahead of them.

The Rohit Sharma-led side usually has a set pattern for home and away conditions in recent times, with the biggest call being the bowling combination. The team went with four seamers in the WTC final against Australia, but the ploy backfired as there was not much help for seamers quite as hoped.

Team India will have to go back to the drawing board and decide the right combination for the Tests in West Indies. Gone are the days when the Caribbean surfaces used to have venom that warranted the inclusion of as many seamers as possible.

Initial impressions suggest that Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja are certain inclusions in the Team India playing XI. The team will need a secondary seamer, which either one of Navdeep Saini, Mukesh Kumar, or Jaydev Unadkat can fulfill.

As far as the role of the fifth bowler is concerned, there is a straight shootout between Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur for the same.

On that note, let us take a look at who among these two should feature in the Team India playing XI for the first Test against West Indies.

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Conditions

The Windsor Park in Dominica has played host to five Test matches to date, with the inaugural clash being between India and West Indies back in 2011. While the opening encounter ended up being a draw, the ground has yielded results ever since.

As the venue prepares to host its first Test in six years, data shows that it is an excellent venue for spin bowling. Ishant Sharma and Fidel Edwards are the only two fast bowlers to claim a five-wicket haul at the venue, with the rest being spinners.

Part-time bowler Michael Clarke also has a fifer at the venue, with the rest being names like Devendra Bishoo and Shane Shillingford. The latter is the only bowler to have claimed a 10-wicket haul at the venue and he has done it on two separate occasions. Four out of the top five wicket-takers at the venue are spinners as well.

The venue is also not considered a good venue for chasing, suggesting that spinners will come into play even more as the game progresses. A run chase has only been completed on one occasion at the venue to date at the international level.

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Balance and form

It is safe to say that the Indian team will be lopsided if neither one of Shardul Thakur nor Axar Patel features in the playing XI.

This just goes to show how the presence of an all-rounder can reshape the entire team. While Jadeja and Ashwin are no mucks with the bat, the provision to have even more depth in the batting order is a gift.

The three-spinner formula has worked wonders in the subcontinent, with the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy being a credible example. Axar has often been shunned at times in terms of bowling with Ashwin and Jadeja bowling in tandem and getting results, but he shone with the bat against Australia.

Shardul Thakur, on the other hand, is viewed as a vital member in conditions where not more than one spinner is required. The all-rounder has made his mark in South Africa, England, and Australia.

In terms of form, both players have not had much red-ball cricket under their belt in recent times. Being key all-rounders for their respective franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL), they had contrasting campaigns on a personal level.

Shardul did not have a memorable season for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by any means and was not used much as a bowler due to a reported niggle.

Axar, on the other hand, was arguably the best player for the Delhi Capitals (DC) with both bat and ball. He was at times restricted but made the best of the situation in the lower-middle order.

Considering the conditions, the track record of the venue, and the combination and the variety offered, Axar Patel does seem to be the better choice out of the two candidates to feature in the playing XI.

Who will play the role of the fifth bowler for India in the series opener against the West Indies? Let us know what you think.