West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (AP) Ahmedabad: One step, rock back, bowl. One step, rock back, bowl. It was a routine that Jomel Warrican kept doing for about 35 minutes in the nets at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Tuesday as the West Indies prepared for the first of the two-match Test series vs India, starting Thursday. “It was basically to service my action so that I can get more body into it and help me get more revs on the ball,†he explained.The 33-year-old left-arm spinner knows he will have a massive role to play if the West Indies are to compete. But he will take heart from seeing the names of bowlers that succeeded in India last year: Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel, both getting 10-wicket hauls in Pune and Mumbai respectively to bowl New Zealand to memorable wins.Left-arm finger spin, especially fastish left-arm finger spin, has historically troubled India even in home conditions. The red-soil pitch on display for the first Test could be his friend if he bowls accurately. Warrican could also have spin-twin Khary Pierre bowl with him if the first-class veteran, known to be metronomical and quick, gets to wear the legendary maroon cap, bearing the number 341 for the first time.Warrican can pass on to Pierre any information that he gathered from his sojourn to these shores in 2018. “Day Three and Four, the ball starts turning a lot. First innings runs are going to be vital,†he states.For those runs, coach Darren Sammy has put his wards through a six-day camp. The Windies arrived in Ahmedabad on Sept 24. “We had two allday sessions after coming here. Batters practised a lot of sweeps, defensive strokes, pulling off the back foot, and lofted strokes,†Warrican revealed.
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Warrican, 33, has played only 21 Tests in a 10-year career so far and has taken 73 wickets with two five-fors. Both came in Multan, in Jan vs Pakistan. A sensational spell of 7-32 did not result in victory for the West Indies. In the next Test, though, he took 4/43 and 5/27 and also scored 36 not out to bowl West Indies to a rare away win.If the red-soil pitch in Ahmedabad plays true to character like most redsoil pitches in India, expect additions to the tally of five-fors.
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