FANTASY PREVIEW
Follow UsIndia, despite their recent woes in the ODI format, were expected to comprehensively beat a struggling Windies side, and across the first two ODIs, that’s precisely what the Men in Blue did. The Rohit Sharma-led side thrashed Pollard’s men by six wickets in the first ODI, and though the second game was closer in comparison, it was once again the hosts who came out on top rather easily, registering a 44-run win.
The two results mean that the third ODI on Friday is a dead rubber in the context of the series. But that being said, West Indies still have all to play for, thanks to there being ODI Super League points at stake.
Ground Details
The third ODI too will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, and it has to be said that the first two games were tilted in favor of the bowlers. While the first wicket was on the slower side, predominantly assisting the spinners, the second pitch turned out to be a pacers’ paradise, providing plenty of bounce, movement and carry for the quicker bowlers. 13 of the 19 wickets that fell in the second ODI were from the arm of the quicker bowlers, highlighting the amount of assistance the seamers had.
But the previous wicket also assisted the spinners, in particular the leg spin of Yuzvendra Chahal. 1/45 read Chahal’s figures in the encounter, but the leg-spinner got the ball to turn square on multiple occasions and was incredibly hard to put away.
Fair to say that we can expect a good contest between bat and ball in the final ODI on Friday; a wicket that has something for everyone.
Team suggestion
Captain selection
Having scored 33 more runs than any other player in the series, Suryakumar Yadav has looked head and shoulders above every batter. It was his 64 under pressure that set-up victory for the hosts in the second ODI, and he has taken to ODI cricket like duck to water, averaging a remarkable 65.25 after 6 matches. He looks unstoppable in the form he is, and is a no-brainer for the choice of captain.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Suryakumar to score between 29 and 43 runs in the third ODI.
X-factors
The highest wicket-taker in the series, Prasidh Krishna is averaging a stunning 6.83 with the ball, and single-handedly ripped through the entire Windies batting unit in the second ODI. The Windies batters found it impossible to handle his pace and bounce in each of the first two ODIs, and in the form Prasidh is in, it won’t be a surprise if the form continues in the final game of the series.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Prasidh to take between 1-2 wickets in the third ODI
Washington Sundar set the tone for India in the series through his double-strike inside the first 11 overs in the first ODI, and then he did a job for his captain bowling at the death in the second game. He made match-winning contributions with the ball in both the matches, and also, in addition to that, chipped in with a handy 24 with the bat in the previous ODI. He will undoubtedly be one of the players the visitors will be wary of.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Sundar to take 0-1 wickets and score 22-32 runs in the third game
Odean Smith was benched for the first ODI, but he nearly single-handedly won the second match for the Windies, picking two crucial wickets with the ball before nearly pulling off a miracle with the bat. The skiddy nature of his bowling and the explosive nature of his batting will once again make him a force to be reckoned with.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Smith to take 0-1 wickets with the ball in the third ODI
Probable XIs
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal
West Indies: Shai Hope (wk), Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Shamarh Brooks, Kieron Pollard (c), Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Odean Smith, Akeal Hossein, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach