Pic Courtesy: twitter
Internet Desk: The Indian cricket side has started preparing for the first ODI match against the Windies tomorrow and the Indian skipper Virat Kohli will look to keep all his rifts and controversies with formar head coach Anil Kumble aside and focus on the upcoming match.
As irony stands, Anil Kumble started his journey as the head coach in the trip at the Caribbean but just a year later the same team returns without the coach.
Indian captain Virat Kohli who made the headlines for his difference in opinion against Anil Kumble would be happy to face an opposition which struggled against minnows Afghanistan.
The unwanted attention on the skipper would be avoided if the Indian team can register big victories in the scheduled five ODI’s and one T20 match.
This will also be an occasion when Kohli will have complete freedom in team selection as batting coach Sanjay Bangar is not known for giving any tangible inputs save giving throw-downs to the senior players of the side.
With Jason Holder’s men just about managing to draw the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan 1-1, there is no doubt that the current Indian team is a few notches ahead in terms of quality.
Even Kohli knows that well and with BCCI top brass backing him on the Kumble issue, the margin for error is very little for the Indian captain.
A 5-0 whitewash is something that is expected against a side that has a cumulative ODI experience of 213 matches between 13 players with skipper Holder as the most-capped player with 58 matches to his name.
Compare it to a whopping 776 matches collectively between Yuvraj Singh (301), MS Dhoni (291) and Virat Kohli (184), the stark contrast between the two sides is so very distinct.
For India, this series is also an ideal platform to test the team’s bench strength.
With Jasprit Bumrah being rested for the series, it will be an ideal opportunity for the captain to check out Mohammed Shami, who did not get a game during the Champions Trophy.
The pacer has not played any official ODI since the 2015 World Cup semi-final post which he had multiple surgeries and played a few Test matches only.
Shami will be keen to regain his place in the ODI XI and West Indies gives him a proper chance to do so.
With Rohit Sharma also cooling his heels for this series, Kohli may be tempted to bring back Ajinkya Rahane at the top of the order. Rahane has not been in great form in limited overs of late but as a reserve opener, he might get a go.
The other option is to try out young Rishabh Pant, who has had the experience of opening for Delhi in domestic cricket.
Pant is an explosive player and can make good use of the first Powerplay when only two fielders are outside the 30-yard circle.
Also with the Indian selectors planning to groom him as Dhoni’s successor, one might see him being given adequate chances.
The other youngster in the squad, chinaman Kuldeep Yadav may also fancy his chances after West Indies failed to read conventional leg-break bowler Rashid Khan.
Kuldeep may be tried in place of either Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja — both of whom have been ordinary during the ICC Champions Trophy.
Squads
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Umesh Yadav.
West Indies: Jason Holder (captain), Jonathan Carter, Miguel Cummins, Alzarri Joseph, Jason Mohammed, Kieran Powell, Kesrick Williams, Devendra Bishoo, Roston Chase, Shai Hope (wk), Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell.
Match Starts: 6:30 pm IST.