Ind vs. WI: ‘We come in as underdogs’ says Roston Chase ahead of first Test

There was a time when the West Indies would be the favourite going into most Test matches. But such are the times now that a West Indies win against the likes of India, Australia and England is an upset.

Windies skipper Roston Chase is mindful of this shift and is hoping that the Caribbeans can somehow rediscover their mojo. “We are not in a good position right now in terms of our Test status, and we are kind of low on the table,” he admitted ahead of the first Test against India starting at the Narendra Modi Stadium from Thursday (October 2, 2025).

“But we have to put that behind us and just worry about what’s ahead of us right now, and play each day, each game, one day at a time, one session at a time, and just try to learn the conditions as fast as possible.”

Asked if the diminished status would unburden the side, Chase replied in the affirmative. “Obviously, we come in as underdogs. It makes us quite a dangerous side when you really have nothing to lose,” he said. “You can just go and play freely because, I mean, everyone is expecting us to lose!”

The Windies come into the series after having lost their previous Test engagement to Australia at home (0-3). But New Zealand’s 3-0 win over India in India last year may give Chase’s men the ever-so-slight hope that they could be competitive.

“New Zealand came last year and dominated India, so we are really trying to learn from what they did and put some of that stuff in place so that we can play good cricket, compete, and try to win the series,” said Chase, who has 52 Test caps to his name.

“India is mainly a spin-based country, but I saw the pitch and it does look a bit green. So we don’t know what it will be yet. Everyone has been preparing well so far. It’s been a bit hot, so that’s been a bit of a stumbling block for us so far, but guys have been doing well,” the 33-year-old added.