With just eight months left for the World Cup 2019, the Indian cricket team is scheduled to play 18 ODIs. However, till now team India has not been able to solve one of its biggest problems. Since the 2015 World Cup, the Indian team has been searching for a player who can consistently deliver to create balance in the middle order. The search for this ‘consistent player’ will continue during the series against the West Indies, starting today with the five-match one-day series against West Indies.
You can watch the live telecast of IND vs WI, 1st ODI, at 1:30 PM on October 21, Sunday. The match can be seen live on the Star Sports Network and live streaming will be available on Hotstar. For all the latest updates, online Coverage and Live streaming, follow Wahcricket.com.
Young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is set to make his ODI debut following his consistent performance with the bat in the recently concluded 2-match Test series. However, he has been selected in the side only for the batsman role.
Team’s middle order has already missed Kedar Jadhav who suffered a major side strain in the Asia Cup final match against Bangladesh. And with Pant’s entry, Manish Pandey has been benched for the first game.
Apart from Pant, all eyes will be on Mahendra Singh Dhoni once again. Dhoni has been going through a very bad phase in recent times and has not played any useful innings for the team. However, Chief selector MSK Prasad has clarified that Dhoni will be the first choice as a wicket keeper for the World Cup 2019.
Dhoni did not appear in the Asia Cup. He scored 77 runs in the four innings with an average of 19.25 and a strike rate of 62.09. So far this year, he played 10 innings in 15 matches, with an average of 28.12 and a strike rate of 67.36 runs.
After a disastrous defeat in the Test series, it’s time for Captain Jason Holder to lead side from the front and try to attain positive results for his side in the 50-overs format. Presence of veteran Marlon Samuels along with returning Kemar Roach might possibly surprise the hosts at home.
While opener Elvis Lewis decision to withdraw from the ODI series due to personal reasons was a huge blow for the team, adding to the Windies sorrow, the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Coach Stuart Law for the first two ODIs against India. The decision of ICC to suspend Law came after he made "inappropriate comments" against a match official.
Squads
India: Virat Kohli(capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, K Khaleel Ahmed, Lokesh Rahul, Umesh Yadav.
Windies: Jason Holder(capt), Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Fabian Allen, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Oshane Thomas, Kieran Powell.