New-look Team India looks to conquer the Caribbean

As the weekend kicks in, Team India will be up for another crucial assignment that would be the litmus test for a string of exciting youngsters who will be hoping to prove a point ahead of the following year’s quadrennial extravaganza.

After a successful conquest of the English forces in the latter’s backyard, India opted to rest their star players that including the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah. India has been on a roll so far in the 50-over format as their recent records boast of a confident squad. Out of the last 9 ODIs that India has so far played in the ongoing year, they have secured 5 wins with the series against South Africa going sideways with a rare whitewash.

West Indies, on the contrary, have been all over the place in the ongoing year when it comes to ODI cricket and somehow there has been no one to arrest the decline for the hosts. In the recently concluded Bangladesh series, they were handed a resounding 3-0 drubbing with their batters barely able to stand up to the visitors.

The return of Jason Holder will boost the hopes in the Caribbean hearts but unless their batting all eyes will be on their batting unit to put up a strong showing.

India will be using this series as an important platform to string together a series of important permutations and combinations that can probably help them with an answer to their unpredictable middle-order conundrum that has been extraordinary at times and has somehow been unflattering on occasions that could make Rahul Dravid mull a couple of potential changes.

Team News:

The fresh-look squad is said to be available and will be hoping to string together a sequence of impressive showdowns against West Indies under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan.

For the hosts, Kemo Paul couldn’t bowl in the final ODI against Bangladesh after copping a hamstring injury and a decision is yet to be made on his availability for the series opener. Keacy Carty will also be unavailable for the first ODI.

Match details:

West Indies vs India (1st ODI, ODI series)

Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain

22nd July 2022

7:00 PM IST

Head-to-head:

Total matches: 136

India: 67

West Indies: 63

Stats:

Virat Kohli is the highest scorer in the Indo-Caribbean rivalry with 2261 runs from 42 contests at an average of 66.50.

Virender Sehwag still remains the only double-centurion against the Islanders in ODI that saw him smashing a mind-boggling 219 at Indore in 2011.

Despite the swashbuckling jawbreakers from West Indies, the leading wicket-taker in the Indo-Caribbean rivalry in ODIs is an Indian going by the name of Kapil Dev.

Anil Kumble’s 6 for 12 in 1993 has withstood the test of time and still remains the best bowling figures in ODIs between the two teams.

Squads:

West Indies:

Nicholas Pooran (C), Shamarh Brooks, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Keacy Carty, Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales.

India:

Shikhar Dhawan (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.