At a time when the format that was once heckled as pyjama cricket is struggling to remain relevant, it is is back in the limelight. Despite the cricket fans continuing to wonder who will India’s next Test captain be and who will their favourite IPL franchise sign during the mega-auction next weekend, all eyes would be at Motera come Sunday afternoon.
India’s three-ODI series versus the West Indies, starting at the Narendra Modi Stadium, will be significant in more ways than one. Besides being Virat Kohli’s maiden appearance under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, Sunday’s series-opener will also be a historic feat in India’s glorious history in ODI cricket.
The two-times World champion will become the first team to feature in 1,000 ODIs. Despite the challenges in getting an ideal combination on the park due to COVID-19-related issues, India will be hoping to celebrate the occasion with a win and get its 2023 World Cup preparation back on track.
The ODI series whitewash in South Africa last month was an eye-opener on how India needs to tick multiple boxes for repeating the 2011 heroics in 2023 when the World Cup will return to its homesoil.
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Ditto is the case with the West Indies, who suffered a shock series defeat at the hands of Ireland in its last ODI assignment. As a result, veteran Kemar Roach has been recalled after being out of limited overs’ cricket for more than two years.
India, on the other hand, will see Rohit’s return to the field after missing the South Africa tour due to a recurring hamstring injury. Besides proving his fitness, the versatile batter will also need to ensure that Rohit, the captain, gets the best out of Kohli, the batter.
Since Rohit and Kohli have been a part of the leadership group for a while, the role-reversal should ideally not hamper the vision or the approach to a great extent. More than the dressing room issues, if any, it would be imperative for India to have Kohli at his peak with the willow, as he has been for most parts since scoring that whirlwind hundred versus Sri Lanka in Hobart a decade ago.
With Shikhar Dhawan ruled out of the first two ODIs and K.L. Rahul unavailable for the opening tie, the onus will yet again be on Rohit and Kohli to get a misfiring batting line-up back on track.
It will also be interesting to see whether Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav can revive their magical partnership in the spin department and give India the much-needed impetus. If Rohit-Kohli and KulCha can find their mojo, the euphoria of ODI cricket may have more than a thousand reasons to last for another week.
The teams (from):
India: Rohit Sharma (Capt.), Ishan Kishan, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan.
West Indies: Kieron Pollard (Capt.), Nicholas Pooran (Vice-capt.), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr.
Match starts 1.30 pm, live on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar
