Sparks always fly when India meet Pakistan in cricket, and the same happened during the recent Asia Cup tournament, which the Men in Blue won unbeaten, defeating their arch rivals on three occasions, including the final.
Andy Pycroft served as the match referee during the first IND vs PAK Asia Cup match, in which the former refused customary handshakes with the latter following the Pahalgam terror attack.
After the match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) protested for the removal of Pycroft from the tournament, even delaying their arrival of its team to the ground ahead of their match vs UAE. The International Cricket Council (ICC), however, declined the request.
After the tournament, Andy Pycroft is serving as the match referee for the first India vs West Indies Test match. He was introduced in dramatic fashion by Ravi Shastri during the toss, which prompted a smile from Shubman Gill.
Ravi’s Shastri’s fiery introduction of Andy Pycroft post Asia Cup fiasco – Watch
West Indies win the toss and elect to bat first in the 1st Test against #TeamIndia
For more updates – https://t.co/Dhl7RtjvWY #INDvWI #1stTEST #TeamIndia @IDFCfirstbank pic.twitter.com/0aTIgdLXD7
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 2, 2025
“BACK IN THE HOUSE, all the way from Dubai, in the hot seat, Andy Pycroft!” exclaimed Ravi Shastri, introducing the match referee ahead of the IND vs WI Test match toss.
Reacting to it, India’s captain, Shubman Gill (who was also a part of India’s Asia Cup squad) glanced down with a cheeky smile.
Also check: Asia Cup Trophy Controversy: South Africa Legend Opposes India’s Stance
India vs West Indies: Toss Result
The toss was conducted after the above-mentioned segment, which was won by West Indies’ captain, Roston Chase.
He elected to bat first, a decision that appears to have gone wrong for his side as India dominated the first session, taking 5 wickets and giving away only 90 runs.
