AHMEDABAD, India, Sept 30, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Shubman Gill's India will be heavy favourites when they play a home two-Test series starting Thursday against a West Indies side struggling with injuries and a pale shadow of the team that once dominated cricket.

The Caribbean team have endured years of decline and their T20 team registered a new low this week with a series defeat to non-Test playing nation Nepal.

In the longest format the West Indies were swept 3-0 at home by Australia this year and were bowled out for 27 in the third match -- the second-lowest score in Test history.

The debacle prompted West Indies cricket boss Kishore Shallow to call for an emergency meeting involving past greats.

West Indies, led by Roston Chase, have been forced into late changes after injuries ruled out pace bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph ahead of the first Test in Ahmedabad.

They have been replaced by the uncapped pair of seamer Johann Layne and left-arm quick Jediah Blades, who has only played white-ball cricket for the West Indies.

Jayden Seales is the only pace bowler in an inexperienced attack who has played more than 10 Tests.

In contrast, India are full of confidence after securing a thrilling 2-2 draw in their five-Test series in England which ended in August.

The series was Gill's first as captain and the first without greats Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, who have all retired.

The tour was a personal triumph for the new skipper, who scored 754 runs, the most ever by an Indian batsman in a series in England.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will make a quick turnaround from playing in the T20 Asia Cup, where he took two wickets in Sunday's final win in Dubai over Pakistan.

Bumrah's workload is being managed carefully after an injury in Australia earlier this year.

He was rested for two of the five Tests in England, where fellow quick Mohammed Siraj was the leading bowler with 23 wickets.

For the West Indies, Chase is joined in the spin bowling department by Jomel Warrican and Khary Pierre, who is set for a long-awaited Test debut.

"I always want to do more... hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard," said Pierre, 34, after a domestic season where he claimed 41 wickets.

"I leave everything on the cricket field -- blood, sweat, tears -- and that was my trademark this season and it paid off."

The second and final Test will be played in New Delhi from October 10-14.

India (from): Shubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Reddy, Prasidh Krishna, Axar Patel, N. Jagadeesan

West Indies (from): Roston Chase (capt), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Johann Layne, Jediah Blades, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican,