The 30-year-old Windies’ right-arm fast bowler Kemar Roach will not be available for the first Test of two-match Test series against the hosts India, starting from this Thursday (October 4).

Roach returned to his home Barbados last week after his grandmother passed away. He missed the two-day warm-up game against Indian Board President’s XI (September 29-30) at Vadodara and now he is set to miss the first Test of the series that will be held at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Rajkot).

Windies head coach Stuart Law confirmed the news on Tuesday (October 2) and claimed that it creates a big hole in the team as Roach is an experienced cricketer in this squad.

Law said according to Cricbuzz, “Unfortunately Kemar is not back in the country yet, he’s had a bereavement in the family, unfortunately he’s had to go home in Barbados. He will be rejoining the squad halfway through the Test match, he should be back in the country and ready to go for the second Test. Kemar Roach is very experienced, has great skills and is one of our leaders in the group, he’s a big loss. Missing Kemar is a big hole.”

Making his Test debut in 2009, Roach has played 48 Tests where he has picked up 163 wickets with the average of 28.31. Recently in July, when Bangladesh toured in West Indies, Roach delivered a lethal bowling spell during the first Test against the visitors at North Sound. He had a bowling figure of 5-1-8-5 in the first innings that forced Bangladesh to get all-out for just 43 runs.

However, he missed the further matches due to the injury and was set to make a comeback in the national squad in Rajkot Test but now he has to wait a little more.

Though Law claimed that Roach’s unavailability in the first Test will create a big hole in the team but he has the faith on the other pacers as he feels this team has some bright talented pacers. Apart from Roach, the other Windies’ pacers in this tour are the captain Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Keemo Paul and Sherman Lewis.