The West Indies have been dealt a major setback ahead of their two-Test series against India as their star pacer Shamar Joseph has been ruled out due to injury. The 26-year-old speedster, who was expected to lead the Caribbean pace attack, will now miss the tour, with uncapped allrounder Johann Layne called in as his replacement.
Joseph’s absence is a significant loss for the West Indies. Since making his Test debut in January 2024 against Australia, he has quickly risen to become a key bowler, claiming 51 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 21.66. His ability to deliver breakthroughs with both the new ball and in crunch situations had made him the most reliable fast bowler in the squad.
The pacer has also been one of the top five wicket-takers in 2025 with 22 wickets in just three Tests this year, further highlighting his form and impact. He will now be re-evaluated before the white-ball tour of Bangladesh, starting on October 18.
Squad Update 🚨
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) September 26, 2025
Johann Layne has replaced Shamar Joseph in the squad for the test series against India.
Joseph has been ruled out due to an injury and will be re-evaluated ahead of the Bangladesh limited overs series.#INDvsWI | #MenInMaroon pic.twitter.com/2z5uiZSicu
Who is Johann Layne?
The injury has opened the door for Johann Layne, a 22-year-old pace-bowling allrounder from Barbados. Though uncapped at the international level, Layne has shown promise in domestic cricket.
- First-class matches: 19
- Wickets: 66 at an average of 22.28
- Runs: 495 at an average of 19.03
- Five-wicket hauls: 4
Layne was particularly impressive in the last domestic first-class competition, taking 27 wickets in six matches at an average of 15.88, including a six-wicket haul. He also represented West Indies A against South Africa A earlier this year, gaining valuable experience.
Also see: India vs West Indies Test Series 2025: Shubman Gill to Lead, Jadeja Named Vice-Captain
West Indies Touring Schedule
The upcoming Test series against India will begin on October 2 in Ahmedabad, followed by the second Test in Delhi starting October 10. After this tour, the Caribbean side will travel to Bangladesh for three ODIs and three T20Is, and then to New Zealand for a full all-format series.
India vs West Indies Test Squads
India
Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, N Jagadeesan (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav
West Indies
Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Johann Layne, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales
With Joseph sidelined, the responsibility of leading the West Indies pace attack will fall on Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, and Anderson Phillip, while Johann Layne has a golden opportunity to showcase his talent at the highest level. For the hosts, India will look to make the most of home advantage and begin their long season with a dominant performance.
