WI vs IND: India’s predicted lineup for clash against West Indies in 2nd ODI
After an impressive World Cup and an emphatic win in the T20s, India will be looking forward to experimenting in the fifty over format having rested a couple of their senior players. With the number four spot mystery still unsolved, it’ll be interesting to see how they fare in Carribean conditions.
Openers
Shikhar Dhawan
With an unfortunate fracture to his thumb ending his World Cup campaign prematurely after the opener had been in impressive form, Dhawan will be looking to pick up right where he left off. His numbers speak for themselves and he has for long now led the Indian batting lineup, helping them claim the number one spot in the rankings multiple times.
Rohit Sharma
Nearly 650 runs in the World Cup, five centuries and an explosive fifty in the T20 series, the world’s number two ranked batsman is as unstoppable as one can possibly be at the moment. His record in the format is one for the ages, be it the three double centuries or the 8,500-plus runs, and we’d rather let him have his bat do the talking than speak much about him.
Middle-order
Virat Kohli
It has been more than a year since Virat Kohli has been dethroned from his spot as the number one ranked batsman in the format. He needs only 19 runs to become the batsman with most runs against the West Indies in ODIs, but in 30 innings fewer than current record holder Javed Miandad and all eyes will be on him in the hope of seeing another batting masterclass.
Shreyas Iyer
The youngster is India’s latest trial for the heavily talked about number four spot after a series of consistent performances for his IPL outfit Delhi Capitals and in the domestic circuit. He is already accustomed to the conditions after his recent successful exploits with the India ‘A’ side in the Carribean and will be looking to grasp the opportunity that has come his way with both hands.
Rishabh Pant
With Mahendra Singh Dhoni on indefinite leave and having approached the twilight of his career, responsibility is on young Pant’s shoulders as the country’s future. After a string of questionable performances, he returned to form in some fashion with a quick fifty in the final T20 and will be donning the gloves for the Men in Blue on Sunday.
All-rounders
Kedar Jadhav
Dropped midway through the World Cup for subpar performances, the batting all-rounder has been given another crack in the team considering his impressive stats. He has scored at an average of 43 and has a 100-plus strike rate in the format for his country and will be looking forward to present himself as the answer to India’s middle-order batting woes.
Ravindra Jadeja
A brilliant World Cup campaign that served to shut up his critics in some fashion, Jadeja will be hoping to carry his form from a defining tournament into the Carribean. He is one of the team’s most capped players and the impact player is equally capable of turning the game on its head with both the ball and the bat.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
The 29-year-old has largely delivered on a more or less consistent basis in all the three formats of the game and had a fairly successful World Cup as well. Even when he doesn’t acquire scalps, he has the ability to build pressure and restrict the opposition towards the death, not to mention his ability to steer the tail with his batting displays.
Bowlers
Kuldeep Yadav
The left-arm unorthodox spinner has been one of India’s most successful bowlers over the last couple of years, and is the second highest ranked Indian bowler sitting in the eleventh spot in the ICC ODI rankings. He has been through various ups and downs but has managed to redeem himself every time and just needs six more wickets to reach a total of 100 in the fifty over format.
Mohammad Shami
Emerging through some personal problems, the 29 year old made waves in the recently concluded World Cup as he took a hattrick against Afghanistan before following it up with a five wicket haul against the ultimate champions. He is one of India’s fastest bowlers and one of the few in the country capable of reverse swinging the ball, so a deadly spell from him will go a long way in earning India a victory.
Khaleel Ahmed
The youngest player in the Indian team, the 21 year old is vastly inexperienced at the top level though he has shown his mettle in the IPl and in List A cricket. Part of the squad that reached the final of the U-19 World Cup three years back, Ahmed has so far risen through the ranks quickly and will be looking to prove himself internationally, just like he has whenever he has been given a chance.
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