WI face year’s first big ODI test
MUMBAI: Thrashed in the twoTest series, West Indies will look to pick themselves up against India in the ODIS. The five-match series starts on Sunday and hosts India begin favourites with skipper Virat Kohli back as captain in short format.
Although West Indies have won six of their 10 ODIS so far in 2018, five of these wins came during the ICC World Cup qualifiers against Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Scotland, UAE and Zimbabwe. They lost twice to Afghanistan in the tournament, including once in the final.
For a team that has won the 50-over World Cup twice, going through the qualification process for next year’s edition was humiliating. Now that they have qualified, this India series will be an opportunity for them to test their skills against a top-five team in their build-up to the World Cup.
While their batting failed in the Test series, the batsmandominated limited-overs format should give them hope of a better peformance.
MISSING STARS
Although talismanic batsman Chris Gayle (who has scored 296 in eight outings at 49.33 this year) and Evin Lewis will be missing, the arrival of Marlon Samuels has bolstered their batting.
Their hopes, however, will hinge on Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope, who have been their best batsmen with 448 and 328 runs respectively. The two are averaging in the 40s this year.
Samuels’s overall experience and Lewis’s exploits for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2018 — 382 runs in 13 matches with two fifties — would also come in handy.
There have been only three centurions from Windies this year — Rovman Powell, Hetmyer and Gayle. With two halfcenturies, Holder has also been among runs besides sharing bowling responsibilities.
For the Windies stroke-makers, the challenge will be greater against wrist-spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who have been relentless. It also remains to be seen how the Car-
1983-2006 2007-2017 Last 5 S Hetmyer S Hope C Gayle R Powell E Lewis 9 9 10
ibbean batsmen respond while chasing 300 or more against a quality Indian attack.
West Indies bowlers could not trouble the Indian batsmen a lot in the two Tests, and their problems will be compounded by the return of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Ambati Rayudu.
Holder has shouldered responsibility (19 wickets in 10 matches) with the ball this year, with right-arm off-spinner Ashley Nurse being the only other permanent face. Kemar Roach, Keemo Paul and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo are the other key bowlers in the Caribbean line-up.
ENCOURAGING RECORD
Windies will take heart from the fact that they have won two of their last five matches against India in India in this format. West Indies had also beaten India by 11 runs at Antigua last year, which was only their seventh ODI victory over India in 26 matches this decade.
The tourists have also brought along a few new faces, some of whom have been impressive in this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Oshane Thomas (18 wickets), Fabian Allen (119 runs in 4 matches) and Chandrapaul Hemraj may feature in this series.
J Holder 10 K Roach 5 A Nurse 10 K Paul 6 C Brathwaite 5 34.11 49.33 27.4 5.18 5 18 4.42 4 42 4.5 4 5 35.13 4.15 5