WI vs IND: 3rd ODI Preview – Trinidad gears up for unexpected series decider
The third and final ODI of the ongoing series between West Indies and India will be played at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on August 1 as both sides will be looking to win it 2-1. After India clinched the first ODI by a comfortable margin of five wickets, the hosts bounced back to win the second ODI by six wickets and thereby levelled the series.
The Caribbean side dominated the show in the second game and put up terrific performances across departments. The bowlers did a commendable job in restricting India to a paltry total of 181 and set the stage well for the batters to do their job. They will be expected to continue the momentum in the forthcoming game so as to win the contest.
The Men in Blue, on the other hand, were on the receiving end in the previous game. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were rested as Hardik Pandya led the team in the regular skipper’s absence. The experiment failed terribly as India failed to make an impact both with the bat and with the ball, thereby giving the game away cheaply.
Pitch Conditions:
The pitch at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad assists the spinners really well, and the batters usually struggle to get going. The surface has previously witnessed low-scoring affairs and the 3rd ODI might pan out in a similar manner.
Venue details: Brian Lara Stadium, Trinidad
Last ODI match at the venue: No men’s ODI has been played here.
Probable playing XI for West Indies vs India clash:
West Indies
The hosts will be riding high on confidence, having won the previous game by a margin of six wickets. They dominated the Indian side and will be geared up to win the series now.
Probable XI: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope (c&wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Keacy Carty, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales
India
The Men in Blue had a forgettable outing in the previous game. In order to win the next game, they will have to include the senior members in the XI instead of benching them. Also, a proper batting unit will have to be formed without experimenting much on that front.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar
