Ranked tenth in the ICC ODI rankings, West Indies will have to go through the Qualifier route five months from now. They also carry the weight of a long-running record against India. Since beating India in a bilateral ODI series at home in 2006, West Indies have lost all 13 series between the two sides. Their last bilateral series win in India came 24 years ago.
India’s biggest talking points centre around their established stars and selection combinations. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain the biggest crowd attractions and shared an extended batting session in the nets ahead of the opener. Kohli subsequently spoke about his motivation of playing his last World Cup, while questions surrounding Rohit’s future have faded from the spotlight.
Shubman Gill, India’s captain, had a brief injury scare after being struck on the elbow by Mohammed Siraj in the nets. He did not bat again that session but was subsequently backed to play. With Shreyas Iyer absent, Ruturaj Gaikwad is the frontrunner for the No.4 role, while India are also weighing their pace combination.
West Indies will look towards Shai Hope, who has an ODI average of 68.17 in Asia among visiting batters with 1,000-plus runs. Jewel Andrew returns after nearly a year, while Amir Jangoo adds intrigue to the batting group. Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase lead an experienced spin contingent.
The venue last hosted an international in January, when India and New Zealand produced a 271-225 T20I. Weather conditions have remained largely clear, though humidity and a brief spell of rain remain factors to watch.
