WI vs IND | Windies' Predicted XI for the first ODI in Guyana

Openers

Middle-order

Nicholas Pooran: Having built up his reputation as a flashy, flamboyant, and destructive batsman thanks to his stints in T20 Leagues around the world, Nicholas Pooran finally came off age in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, finishing as their highest run-getter with 367 runs. But with scores of 17, 19 and 20 in the three T20s, the southpaw is coming on the back of a disappointing run, and more often than not, has been the architect of his own downfall. 

Shimron Hetmyer: Entering the ODI series with scores of 0, 6 and 1, Shimron Hetmyer has literally found it impossible to buy a run against the Indian bowling attack in the T20Is. However, he will cast his mind back to 2018, where he lit up Guwahati and Visakhapatnam with his knocks of 106 and 94, with the latter one helping his team tie the match. Despite threatening to go berserk, the southpaw has got out at the wrong moments one too many times, and will be hoping to fix that radical flaw. 

Jason Holder: Skipper Jason Holder didn’t have the most fruitful of World Cups with either bat or ball, failing to post big scores with the bat, while failing to both pick wickets and finish his quota of overs with the bat. In the absence of the hard-hitting Andre Russell, the Barbadian would need to take up responsibility as the finisher with the bat, while also providing timely breakthroughs with the ball. But he will need to turn around his record against India big time, having picked just 6 wickets in 9 outings against the Men in Blue. 

Carlos Brathwaite: Carlos “Remember the Name” Brathwaite had a series to forget in the T20Is, as the West Indian team led by him were taught a lesson by the Men in Blue. His place was under threat during the World Cup due to his sub-standard performances with both bat and ball, but lit up the world with his 101 against New Zealand, almost pulling off an impossible heist. Sadly enough, it feels like the career of the all-rounder will be defined by one or two match-winning performances. 

Bowlers

Kemar Roach: Kemar Roach made his first appearance against India way back in 2009 as a tearaway quick who had the ability to run through any opposition in the world with his sheer pace. 10 years later, the 31-year-old is almost unrecognizable from his old self, having lost a good 20-25 kms of pace, but at the same time, has become the Windies’ most reliable bowler, thanks to his control and consistency. While he has been their go-to man in red-ball cricket, Roach has faded away in limited overs, and this series will present a golden opportunity for the Barbadian to redeem himself in the shorter format.

Oshane Thomas: After taking the world by storm, the Oshane Thomas train which once bombarded batsmen with his pace has slowly faded away slowly but steadily. The right-armer has blown hot and cold, and more often than not, his inconsistency has been taken advantage of by the batsmen, which has eventually resulted in the Windies getting pummeled. While there is no doubt about the talent and ability the Jamaican possesses, he would need to be a lot more consistent than what he’s been to justify his selection in the team.