India and West Indies are placed very differently in their approach and outlook ahead of the three-match ODI series that gets underway on Thursday. For the hosts West Indies, the aim is to build from ground up after the disappointment of missing out on the Cricket World Cup for the first time. Meanwhile, for India, it is an opportunity to fine-tune their combination with just two months left for the big event at home.
With no World Cup to prepare for, no Super League points on offer, and nothing of note in the horizon, West Indies have little to look ahead to. The next World Cup, in 2027, will feature 14 teams based on the ODI rankings which makes things more viable for the Windies.
Away from little purpose in the short run, in the grand scheme of things, West Indies and its fans can focus on making things tougher for the ‘biggies.’ With the gap between lower-ranked teams and the top ones reducing, even as the sport tries its best to keep the Associate sides at arm’s length, West Indies and their prowess in white ball cricket puts them in a better spot.
So, West Indies, affected by geopolitics, sport’s economics and drop in quality, can focus on the next ball rather than what the cricket world is doing two months down the line.
For India, the focus is firmly on the World Cup. With Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant not available, others have the opportunity to make a late dash and maybe, just maybe, squeeze themselves into reckoning. But, preparing for the worst is key for India.
In the squad, Suryakumar Yadav will be targeting an improvement in his 50-over credentials while Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson are likely to audition for the wicketkeeper’s slot. In the absence of Iyer, SKY can make the No 4 spot his own but needs to replicate his T20 heroics in the longer format. It didn’t help that he recorded a hat-trick of first ball ducks in the previous series against Australia.
With KL Rahul and Pant recovering, wicket-keeper batter’s role is pivotal – not just on its own but even for a standby. KL Rahul is likely to step right back in after rehab process to treat the thigh injury he picked up during the IPL, it is the second spot that is wide open.
Samson will be hoping to get game time in his comeback series and build on an average of 66 in 11 ODIs. Kishan, who impressed with the bat and the gloves in the Test series, is expected to start the first ODI.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are expected to open the innings which means more time on the bench for Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Vice-captain Hardik Pandya, who has not played since the IPL final, has a tight schedule ahead with the five T20Is following the ODIs, bringing workload management to the forefront. Considering he will captain the T20I side, he might get a breather during the ODIs.
In the bowling department, it is another opportunity for pacer Umran Malik to make an impact. The 23-year-old has the tendency to leak runs but is a genuine wicket-taking option. He has taken 13 wickets in seven ODIs.
Don’t we just love this duo! ☺️ 🤝#TeamIndia | #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/7LDGd9PYvh
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 25, 2023
Yuzvendra Chahal has gone down the pecking order of spinners and Kuldeep Yadav was picked ahead of him against Australia. The leggie will be eagerly waiting for his chance.
Kuldeep has been rewarded for his consistency in ODIs this year. The left-arm spinner has played eight of India’s nine ODI games this year and picked 15 wickets at an average of 21.13. He has an excellent record in the Caribbean, where he has 11 wickets in seven games.
Squads:
West Indies: Shai Hope (captain), Rovman Powell (vice-captain), Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Dominic Drakes, Shimron Hetmyer, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas.
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.
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