India's WTC Journey Begins: India Tour of West Indies 2023

The 2023-2025 World Test Championship (WTC) will kick off for India with a two-match series in the Caribbean on July 12. The first Test will take place in Dominica, which marks a decade since India last played at the venue. The Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad will host the second - and last - Test starting from July 20, sealing India's debut in this WTC cycle.

The tour, comprising of the Test series, three ODIs and five T20Is, is scheduled to conclude on August 13. The first two ODIs will be held at Kensington Oval in Barbados. The teams will then return to Trinidad for the third ODI and the first T20I before moving on to Guyana for the second and third T20Is. The last two T20Is will take place at Lauderhill ground in Florida, USA.

"We are delighted to be able to confirm the schedule and venues for the highly anticipated visit by India. One of the highlights will be the 100th Test at the Queen’s Park Oval and this promises to be a fantastic occasion as we celebrate this historic event between these two proud cricketing nations. We also look forward to hosting India in the white ball fixtures and welcoming fans to attend the matches across the region, as well as in the United States. It will be 18 days of entertainment for cricket lovers to enjoy and savour," said Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI

In July 2011, India was pitted against West Indies in their first-ever Test match in Dominica at Windsor Park. Alick Athanaze, a local boy who recently made headlines for scoring the joint-fastest half-century on his ODI debut, might soon be making his debut in the Test format against India at his home ground.

The West Indies' upcoming home series against India is scheduled to commence just three days post the conclusion of their ODI World Cup Qualifier stint in Harare on 9th July. In case the West Indies qualify for the final, their Test experts will have limited time to prepare before the commencement of the Test series opener in Dominica. Additionally, there exists a chance that the Test players may have to withdraw from participating in the final round of the World Cup Qualifier to get ready for their home Test series.

The Test record of West Indies on their home turf is quite impressive lately, especially with their consecutive victories in the last two series against Bangladesh and England. Similarly, India has also shown remarkable performance in Tests in the Caribbean, winning their last four Test series in the region.

India's Test team is currently under scrutiny as they face questions regarding their lackluster performance in the recent WTC final against Australia. Despite participating in both finals of the World Test Championship, they were unable to clinch victory and secure any silverware. In light of this defeat at The Oval, Rohit Sharma has urged the team to adopt a different approach in future ICC tournaments.