West Indies are still struggling to find their groove in the 50-over format. After enduring an elimination from the ODI World Cup qualifiers, the Caribbean brigade was desperate to return to the winning ways in their opening ODI against India. But they failed to bring out their A-game, losing the match by 5 wickets. West Indies will look to get back on the winning track when they host India for the second ODI of the three-match series on July 29. The match will be played at the Kensington Oval in Barbados where the first ODI was played.
The wicket in Barbados certainly assisted the bowlers during the first ODI. Indian spinners showed their dominance in the first innings and bowled out West Indies for just 114 runs. Kuldeep Yadav was the highest wicket-taker for India, folding up with a four-wicket haul. Ravindra Jadeja also appeared in his iconic form and got three wickets under his belt. Coming to chase, young opener Ishan Kishan gave India a powerful start, scoring 52 off 46 balls. But the other Indian batters struggled to cope with the slower track. The visitors could chase down the target in 22.5 overs but lost five wickets.
Pitch Report:
The pitch at the Kensington Oval used to be recognised as a balanced surface. But batters were seen facing much trouble during the first ODI, which turned out to be a low-scoring affair. Spinners of both teams shone on the occasion. India, who were the chasing side, might notch up a comprehensive victory. But they had to try hard for each run. If the wicket in Barbados remains the same during the second ODI, we can expect another low-scoring game.
Weather Forecast:
The weather in Barbados is expected to be mostly cloudy during the second ODI match between India and West Indies. There is also a 50 per cent chance of rain, while the temperature will hover between 26 degrees Celcius to 30 degrees Celcius. The humidity is anticipated to be around 80 per cent and winds will blow at a speed of 20-25 km/h.
India vs West Indies First ODI Full Squads:
India Full Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar
West Indies Full Squad: Shai Hope (c & wk), Rovman Powell (vc), Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Dominic Drakes, Shimron Hetmyer, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair and Oshane Thomas
