India, Feb. 28 -- When Varun Chakravarthy walks out at Eden Gardens on Sunday, it can instinctively feel like a homecoming. In reality, it's more like than an examination.

He has played here as a Kolkata Knight Rider to bowl them to victories in tight IPL matches. Over several seasons, he turned this Eden pitch into his small laboratory-honing deception, altering speeds, and disguising spin while building a reputation as one of the tournament's most inscrutable bowlers. This isn't the IPL though. It's a Super Eights match against the West Indies that carries the tension of a quarterfinal.

This West Indies lineup is not built to accumulate quietly. It accelerates. It targets the middle overs, where spin often dictates tempo. Batters like...