INDIA VS WI SERIES BEGINS TODAY
India look to solve middle order puzzle ahead of 2019 World Cup
Guwahati, Oct. 20: A formidable India will hope to get more answers for their unresolved middle-order puzzle when they take on a reeling West Indies in the five-match ODI series starting here on Sunday, ticking off the home team’s countdown to the 2019 World Cup.
The World Cup in England is less than eight months away and India have 18-odd games left to decide their middle order, mainly the number four position where many have been tried but with little success. The series will also mark captain Virat Kohli’s return to white-ball cricket as he had taken a much needed break during the team’s triumphant campaign in Asia Cup. Kohli is expected try out a new combination in the middle order that will see Rishabh Pant make his ODI debut, following his exploits in the longest format. The 21-year-old wicketkeeperbatsman, who scored a century at the Oval in his debut series against England, continued his sublime form with consecutive scores of 92 against the West Indies in the two-match Test series. Brought in the side as a ‘specialist batsman’ at the expense of Dinesh Karthik, Pant will be under a little bit of pressure to perform from the word go. The focus once again will be on MS Dhoni, whose batting ability is on the wane and with limited playing time in the middle, the job gets only tougher for the legendary cricketer.
However, chief selector MSK Prasad has time and again said that Dhoni remains the first choice wicketkeeper at least till the World Cup. Dhoni was far from his best in the Asia Cup, scoring 77 runs in four innings with an average of 19.25 and a strike rate of 62.09. In whole of 2018, he has batted 10 times in 15 matches, averaging 28.12 with a strike rate of 67.36.
He will be playing the World Cup in England, a country where he is yet to score a century in 20 ODIs and averages 38.06, a sharp drop from his career average of 50.61. While the top-three select themselves, the spotlight will also be on Ambati Rayudu , who is expected to bat four and will look to carry forward his fine form of Asia Cup where he amassed 175 runs, averaging 43.75 from six innings. However, time may be running out for Manish Pandey as he is yet to cement his place in the team after making his debut more than three years ago. India will also have the services of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the lower-order and in the absence of injured Hardik Pandya, he will have to stepup. The preceding Test series was productive for the southpaw and so was the Asia Cup, where he made his ODI comeback after a year’s gap. Looking at the bowling attack, the spin department will see the potent duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. — PTI