Windies pacer Roach could lack match sharpness

Windies pace bowler Kemar Roach will miss the Windies warm-up match against a Board President's XI in Vadodara as he travels back to Barbados following the death of his grandmother.

The bowler is, however, expected to be back in time for the start of the series, which will get under way in Rajkot on October 4. With the bowler having not played Test cricket competitively since recovering from a hamstring injury against Bangladesh in July, he could be somewhat sharp on match fitness.

Against Bangladesh, Roach showed plenty of menace, taking five wickets in the first innings of the first Test match, before being rested for the second after suffering the injury.

A rusty Roach, could be a problem for the Windies as the 30-year-old is the team’s most experienced pace bowler. Also in the line-up are Shannon Gabriel (37 Tests) and Jason Holder (34) who are next up the team’s other senior pace bowlers. Keemo Paul has played just one Test so far and Sherman Lewis - who replaced the injured Alzarri Joseph – is yet to make his debut.

thought rumor is Waqar Younis will be the new Coach :
Roach , Gabriel, Keemo Paul and the debutant Sherman Lewis will be well served !

Kemar Roach has been ruled out of the first Test against India in Rajkot starting Thursday.

The 30-year old fast bowler had left the West Indies squad following the death of his grandmother
and will only make it back from Barbados midway through the Rajkot game.

The head coach Stuart Law accepted that losing a new-ball bowler for the opening Test of a series
was tough, but he was confident the rest of the attack could thrive in subcontinent conditions.

Keemo Paul, the vice-captain of the Under-19 World-Cup winning team in 2016
Sherman Lewis picked up eight wickets against India A in a four-dayer in July.