India will take on West Indies in the first match of the three-match ODI series at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday. The visitors, who are ranked second in the ICC ODI rankings, will be looking to continue their winning momentum after clinching the T20I series 2-1.
India’s new captain and debutants impress
India have a new captain in Rohit Sharma, who took over the reins from Virat Kohli after the latter decided to step down from limited-overs captaincy. Sharma led from the front in the T20Is, scoring 156 runs in three innings at an average of 78 and a strike rate of 144.44. He also became the first player to score 3000 runs in T20Is during the series.
India also gave opportunities to some new faces in the T20Is, who impressed with their performances. Ishan Kishan, who made his debut in the second match, scored a blistering 56 off 32 balls to help India chase down 196 with eight balls to spare. Suryakumar Yadav, who played his first T20I in the third match, scored a quick-fire 31 off 20 balls to set up India’s total of 185 for 8. Sanju Samson, who replaced Rishabh Pant as the wicketkeeper-batsman, scored a cameo of 27 off 14 balls in the same match.
The bowling department was led by Mohammed Siraj, who took six wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 6.83. He was well supported by Yuzvendra Chahal, who took four wickets at an economy rate of 7.25. Shardul Thakur and Avesh Khan also chipped in with three and two wickets respectively.
West Indies face uphill task
West Indies, on the other hand, have a lot of work to do after losing the T20I series. The hosts, who are ranked ninth in the ICC ODI rankings, have not won an ODI series since August 2019, when they beat India 2-1 at home. Since then, they have lost six ODI series in a row, including a 3-0 whitewash by Bangladesh earlier this year.
West Indies have some injury concerns ahead of the first ODI, as their regular captain Kieron Pollard and star all-rounder Andre Russell are ruled out of the series. Nicholas Pooran will lead the side in Pollard’s absence, while Jason Holder will be his deputy. West Indies have also recalled veteran opener Chris Gayle and spinner Sunil Narine for the ODI series.
West Indies will rely on their batting firepower to challenge India, as they have some of the most destructive hitters in world cricket. Shai Hope, who is their leading run-scorer in ODIs with 3677 runs at an average of 52.53 and a strike rate of 77.23, will be the key player at the top of the order. He will be joined by Evin Lewis, who scored a brilliant century in the first T20I against India. Gayle, Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell will provide the middle-order muscle, while Holder and Fabian Allen will be the all-round options.
The bowling department will be spearheaded by Alzarri Joseph, who has taken 54 wickets in 37 ODIs at an average of 28.98 and an economy rate of 5.81. He will be supported by Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas and Akeal Hosein, who are the other pace options in the squad. Narine will be the main spinner for West Indies, along with Allen and Kevin Sinclair.
IND vs WI Dream11 Prediction
Based on the recent form and performances of both teams, here is a possible Dream11 prediction for the first ODI between India and West Indies:
Wicketkeeper: Ishan Kishan
Batsmen: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Evin Lewis
All-rounders: Jason Holder (vice-captain), Fabian Allen
Bowlers: Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Alzarri Joseph, Sunil Narine
