After the conclusion of the two-match Test series, India and West Indies are now competing in a three-match ODI series post the conclusion of which they will lock horns in a five-match T20I series. The ODI series got underway earlier on Thursday (July 27) at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown in Barbados with India winning the toss and electing to field first. The Men in Blue handed an ODI cap to Mukesh Kumar. However, apart from Kumar's maiden ODI appearance, there was one interesting thing that highighted the stark difference between the two sides. This was the relative inexperience of the ODI side of the West Indies Playing XI especially when compared to India.
A statistical breakdown of this fact shows that West Indies playing XI comprising of Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Brandon King, Alick Athanaze, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Dominic Drakes, Jayden Seales and Gudakesh Motie have a combined ODI career run-tally of 9283 runs (before their batting innings against India on Thursday, July 27, 2023) with 4829 runs of them coming of the bat of their most experienced batter captain Shai Hope alone.
However, when comes to India, star batter Virat Kohli alone has 12,898 runs (before India's innings on Thursday, July 27) in ODI cricket which is 3,616 runs more than the West Indies Playing XI. India captain Rohit Sharma too has more runs than the entire opposition XI combined with 9,825 runs in his ODI career. While West Indies enter this series after being knocked out of the World Cup qualifiers, India will play the marquee event later at home as one of the favourites to clinch the trophy.
Talking about the match, the difference in experience and perhaps even quality of the side was evident with India managing to bowl West Indies out for 114 in 23 overs. Kuldeep Yadav was India's most-effective bowler on the day with figures of 4/6 in 3 overs.