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India vs West Indies, 1st ODI: Windies T20 Temperament to be Tested in ODIs
- Updated: December 13, 2019
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India won the third T20I in Mumbai to win the T20I series 2-1. They won the match by 67 runs to set a batting template that the team would like to replicate in the remainder of the T20I games that they play in the build-up to the World T20 next year. The India vs West Indies series now moves on from the T20Is to the ODIs with a series win in the mind of both teams. The three-match series kicks off with the first ODI in Chennai on December 15.
The India vs West Indies series so far has been a batting show from both teams with scores of over 170 being scored in every match. The third T20I, in fact, saw India score as many as 240 runs with the bat as three batsmen registered scores of 70 plus. West Indies also has matches India shot for shot throughout the T20Is. If it was Evin Lewis and Simron Hetmyer scoring crucial runs in the first game, Lendl Simmons and Evi Lewis joined hands in the second. The decider in Mumbai saw its adopted son Kieron Pollard play a blinder of an innings as he scored 68 off 39 balls to give India a real scare in the game.
The bowlers from both teams have been under the pump so far in the India vs West Indies series. However, the pattern is expected to change in the ODIs, with the bowlers getting more time to adjust to the situation and the conditions. However, the spinners have had a bigger role to play in the series so far than the spinners. Windies spin duo of Hayden Walsh and Kharry Pierre have earned a lot of praise for their performance in the series. Their efforts with the ball especially in the second T20I denied India get to a score of over 200 after getting a good start. They took three wickets together to slow down the scoring rate in the middle overs.
Also Read: 5 Wicket-Keepers Who Can Replace Rishabh Pant In The Indian Team, If he flops against West Indies
Kuldeep Yadav who was a part of the Indian playing XI in the final T20I in Mumbai also showed the essentials of a wrist-spinner in T20Is. He removed Shimron Hetmyer and Jason Holder at key moments in the game to swing the game in India’s favor. He is expected to play a bigger role in the ODIs coming up.
The Indian ODI team will also see the return of Kedar Jadhav and the inclusion of Mayank Agarwal in place of an injured Shikhar Dhawan who has been ruled out of the ODI series as well after missing the T20Is. This opens up yet opportunities yet again for KL Rahul to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma and get runs under his belt to make a stronger claim at holding onto that position. The management might want to give the much-deserved chance to Agarwal as well to make his ODI debut after having finally cemented his place in the Test side.
The India vs West Indies series thus is one of the opportunities for the players from both sides to cement their spots in the side. While Virat Kohli will continue to lead India in ODIs as well, Kieron Pollard too will continue to lead the Windies in the three T20Is. He has the Windies Test skipper Jason Holder and a couple of other senior players to fall back as and when required.
All the three games will be day-night encounters which also means that dew is expected to play a key role throughout the series. The first game of the three-match series will be played in Chennai. The wicket at the M. Chidambaram stadium historically has been good for batting with the spinners getting assistance in the second half. Dew will play its part in the game as the evening sets in making the bowlers tough to grip the ball.
The highest score set batting first has been 337 on this ground and the highest successful score chased has been 289. This also gives us an indication that this is a high-scoring ground. The ground went through a remake during IPL 2019 and now has a very new look with all of its stand open. The Chepauk has always supported Team India every time they played here and this game is expected to be no different.
Also Read: Mayank Agarwal replaces Injured Shikhar Dhawan in India’s ODI squad against West Indies
A winning start is imperative for both the teams in the series and it will be interesting to see the tactics employed by both teams throughout the ODI series. After the first game in Chennai, the second and third ODI will be played in Vizag and Cuttack respectively on December 18 and 22.
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