ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Jahmar Hamilton has been called up to the West Indies 13-man squad for the decisive second Test against India after Shane Dowrich was ruled out of the series with an ankle injury.
Dowrich sat out the opening Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua last week when the hosts suffered a chastening 318-run defeat inside four days, as Shai Hope stood in with the gloves.
With Dowrich now returning to Barbados to continue his recovery, Hamilton has been included in a 13-man squad announced Tuesday.
The uncapped 28-year-old Leeward Islands Hurricanes gloveman has played 80 first class matches and accumulated 173 dismissals. He averages 26 with the bat and has scored six hundreds.
Hamilton featured for West Indies A in two of the three four-day “Tests” against touring India A, scraping just 36 runs from four innings.
Meanwhile, Keemo Paul has returned to the squad after recovering from the ankle injury that kept him out of the series opener.
Fast bowler Miguel Cummins, who replaced him, h as been dropped after a forgettable display in Antigua where he failed to take a single wicket in 20 insipid overs.
The two changes are the only ones to the Windies side as they go in search of a series-levelling victory starting Friday at Sabina Park.
West Indies suffered an extraordinary batting collapse on the penultimate day of the opening Test, slumping to 100 all out in pursuit of 419 for victory, to hand India their largest-ever away victory in terms of runs.
The result left the Windies without a Test win over India in 22 matches over the last 17 years.
SQUAD – Jason Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Darren Bravo, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamarh Brooks, Jahmar Hamilton, Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Keemo Paul.
Squad: Jason Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Darren Bravo, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamarh Brooks, Jahmar Hamilton, Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Keemo Paul. (CMC)
