Will India vs West Indies Test series be postponed due to World Cup qualifiers?

Team West Indies (Pic: AFP)

India will have a month-long tour of West Indies where they would start with two Test matches starting July 12, followed by three ODIs and five T20Is in which a completely new team led by Hardik Pandya will be plying its trade with IPL performers likely to be rewarded. While another WTC final defeat will hurt the team, there is a strong feeling that the Shiv Sunder Das-led selection committee and head coach Rahul Dravid will be looking at new options going into the next WTC cycle, which starts with the series in the Caribbean.

It must be remembered that West Indies is presently in Zimbabwe playing the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 qualifiers, which is set to conclude only on July 9, about three days before their first Test against India on July 12. A change in the schedule would seem like an immediate solution, and Cricket West Indies (CWI) is believed to be exploring several options to avoid potential damage, keeping players' fitness under check.

Also Read: ODI World Cup 2023 qualifiers: Match details, venues, squads & other details

As of now, there is no talk of the India vs West Indies Test series being rescheduled to a later date. While ideally there could be different sides for the white-ball format and Tests, there are still a few who form are part of both the squads. Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase, and Alzarri Joseph are a few who are currently in Zimbabwe that play in both formats. However, a report stated that CWI are open to making alternative plans. It also adds that the CWI will look to get the four players released for the Tests before the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Qualifier final, which has no major relevance to the qualification as reaching the summit clash itself confirms the two spots for the October tournament.

West Indies, meanwhile, registered a comfortable 39-run victory over the United States on June 18 and face Nepal on Thursday followed by an all-important clash against Zimbabwe in Group A on June 24 and later Netherlands two days later. If qualified, they will also play in the Super Sixes contest, which kicks off on June 29 and concludes on July 7, followed by the summit clash on July 9, when the final two of the Super 6 stage face each other.