WI vs IND, 1st ODI | Preview, Pitch Report, Probable XIs, Cricket Tips & Prediction
Virat Kohli has a staggering ODI record in West Indies. (Image - ICC).
A depleted West Indian outfit, without prolific stars such as Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder, will be on a miraculous mission to stun a star-studded Indian juggernaut on Thursday (July 27) in the first ODI of the three-match series. The high-voltage face-off is scheduled at the iconic Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Team Previews
West Indies
After getting knocked out of the ODI World Cup in a shocking manner, West Indies had a depressive outing in the recently-concluded Test series against Rohit Sharma and his boys. The Kraigg Braithwaite-led side was wrapped up inside three days, suffering a crushing defeat in Dominica. However, they staged a valiant performance thereafter, albeit they had rain Gods by their side to salvage a draw and escape a clean sweep at home.
West Indies failed to qualify for the World Cup [Twitter]
Talking about ODIs, they are going through a miserable phase, and the absence of veterans like Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder will only make things worse. Perhaps the only positive news from their squad selection was the return of Shimron Hetmyer, who last played an ODI exactly two years ago.
It would be interesting to see whether he can provide able support to Shai Hope – arguably West Indies' best 50-over batter currently – to lead an explosive batting unit that will also have Brandon King, Rovman Powell, and Kyle Mayers.
Among the bowlers, Alzarri Joseph, West Indies’ only shining star in a fragile bowling attack, will be in focus to lead the pack. The right-arm quick has an impressive record of snaring 41 wickets from 24 ODIs since 2021, and he will have Jayden Seales and Gudakesh Motie among others to take breakthroughs in regular intervals.
India
Ranked 10th on the ICC Rankings in ODIs, West Indies will now have a big task ahead against Rohit and Co., who are currently placed on the same chart behind Australia and Pakistan. More importantly, unlike the previous visit here, they will now boast of having the services of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
The likes of Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya will be there to complete India’s two-most adored individuals. Not to forget, Chahal was the joint-highest wicket-taker in India’s previous ODI leg in West Indies, while Gill was their top run-getter, aggregating an astonishing 205 runs and winning the Player of the Series award.
Match Details
| Date | July 27, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Time | 7:00 PM IST |
| Venue | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown |
| Live Streaming and Broadcast | FanCode, JioCinema, DD Sports |
Pitch Report
The Caribbean tracks assist pacers more than spinners due to their rich history, and the tradition is expected to go on. However, while the fast bowlers will enjoy the white cherry at the beginning of the innings, spinners are expected to come into play and be handy as the show goes on.
It is important to note that four of the previous five matches at Kensington Oval were won by the chasing team, and therefore, whichever side wins the toss is likely to opt to bowl first.
India vs West Indies Head-to-Head
West Indies haven't had a single victory in their previous six attempts against India in ODIs. In fact, the Caribbean side hasn't won an ODI series against India since 2006, when they enjoyed a 4-1 triumph at home.
In total, courtesy of an exceptional historical record, West Indies have beaten India 63 times in the format, while the latter had the last laugh on 70 occasions. However, at home, their overall record against India stands in their favour, albeit it is on a knife’s edge at 20-19.
Players to watch out for
Virat Kohli
Hailed as one of the modern-day greats, Virat Kohli has an insane ODI record in West Indies, amassing 790 runs across 14 innings at an average of 71.82. Unsurprisingly, the talismanic batter is the highest ODI run-getter among the Indians in the Caribbean, 274 runs more than second-ranked Shikhar Dhawan. Hence, there is little doubt that the entire focus will be on the King from the moment he walks into the middle.
Shai Hope
Hope will play a key role for West Indies [Twitter]
The West Indies skipper averages 50.30 in the ODIs, tallying 4829 runs from 115 matches at a cautious strike rate of 76.76. Against India at home, his record is quite staggering, as he has scored 360 runs in 10 outings, averaging 40.
Even in the recent ODI World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, Hope was in delightful touch, as his aggregate of 351 runs in seven games at an improved strike rate of 96.87 speak volumes.
Probable XIs
West Indies: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Shai Hope (C & WK), Alick Athanaze, Shimron Hetmyer, Keacy Carty, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales
India: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Umran Malik
Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
Wicket-keeper: Shai Hope
Batters: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Kyle Mayers
Bowlers: Umran Malik, Alzarri Joseph, Kuldeep Yadav
Captain: Virat Kohli
Vice-captain: Kuldeep Yadav
Prediction
Even a wild gambler will find himself in a difficult situation before putting his money on a weak West Indies side against a full-fledged Indian squad. Thus, don’t even dare to be an ultimate exception. Instead, stay calm and keep faith in the Rohit Sharma-led side as they are outright favourites in this fixture and in all likelihood, to begin the new assignment with a bang.
 "OneCricket")
