India are set to take on West Indies in the first ODI of the five-match series in Guwahati on Sunday. This will be the second format in the ongoing tour where both teams will clash. In the longest format of the game, it was the home side who emerged victorious in the two-match series, where the both matches finished inside three days.
In their last 50-over assignment, the Men in Blue registered an impressive triumph in the Asia Cup, when they successfully defended their title and ended the tournament without suffering a single defeat.
On the other hand, West Indies will be looking for an improved showing after a below-par outing in the five-day format. In their last outing in the ODIs, the Jason Holder-led unit registered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat against Bangladesh on the home soil.
This will be the first ODI to be played on the venue after a gap of nearly eight years. The highest score of 333-6 at the venue was registered by India against Zimbabwe on March 19, 2002. The weather during the match is expected to stay fine throughout.
Key players
Rohit Sharma – 10 Cr
First in the list of key players feature India opening batsman and vice-captain Rohit Sharma. The right-hander has just recently led the Men in Blue to the Asia Cup triumph in the absence of their regular captain Virat Kohli and led the team fantastically—both in the field and with the bat as well. The 31-year-old scored 317 runs
India are set to take on West Indies in the first ODI of the five-match series in Guwahati on Sunday. This will be the second format in the ongoing tour where both teams will clash. In the longest format of the game, it was the home side who emerged victorious in the two-match series, where the both matches finished inside three days.
In their last 50-over assignment, the Men in Blue registered an impressive triumph in the Asia Cup, when they successfully defended their title and ended the tournament without suffering a single defeat.
On the other hand, West Indies will be looking for an improved showing after a below-par outing in the five-day format. In their last outing in the ODIs, the Jason Holder-led unit registered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat against Bangladesh on the home soil.
This will be the first ODI to be played on the venue after a gap of nearly eight years. The highest score of 333-6 at the venue was registered by India against Zimbabwe on March 19, 2002. The weather during the match is expected to stay fine throughout.
Key players
Rohit Sharma – 10 Cr
First in the list of key players feature India opening batsman and vice-captain Rohit Sharma. The right-hander has just recently led the Men in Blue to the Asia Cup triumph in the absence of their regular captain Virat Kohli and led the team fantastically—both in the field and with the bat as well. The 31-year-old scored 317 runs in five innings at an astonishing average of 105.66 during the event, which shows, even though he is valued at 10 Cr, which might seems like an expensive acquisition, it might prove worth it. Sharma's home record is another reason why it is imperative to have him in your team. Sharma averages 59.71 in 48 innings while playing in India. Against West Indies in home conditions, Sharma has scored 393 runs at an average of 56.14, but has yet to score a century.
Marlon Samuels – 9.5 Cr
Second in the list features West Indies' most experienced player, Marlon Samuels. The veteran all-rounder is valued at 9.5 Cr, but looking at his record against India and in India, seems like a reasonable purchase for the team. The 37-year-old has scored 920 runs in 28 innings while playing in India, and averages 45.15 while playing against India in India. However, it will be interesting to see how he will turn his form around with the bat as he only scored 38 runs in the three-match series against Bangladesh.
Kuldeep Yadav – 9 Cr
Last in the list features left-arm off-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The 23-year-old has been a great asset for the Men in Blue ever since becoming a part of the playing eleven since the ICC Champions Trophy final defeat in 2017. So far, Yadav has represented India in 29 ODIs, claiming 58 wickets at an astonishing average of 20.10 and economy of just 4.65. In the recently concluded Asia Cup, Yadav claimed 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 23.70 and with the economy-rate of 4.08, which shows that he will be an excellent acquisition for the team. On the home soil, Yadav, who is valued at 9 Cr, has claimed 11 wickets in six innings for the team.
