India vs West Indies series is all set to begin today with the first of the five ODIs to be played in the Caribbean and it has turned out to be a hectic start to a new season for team India. They have always been one of the business Cricket teams in the world and since BCCI has a rich pool of players with them, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah have been given some time to relax and come up with new strategies for what is going to be a start of World Cup 2019 preparations.
The India vs West Indies series also marks the holler of the World Cup and with two IPLs along with domestic cricket, should suffice to throw up fresh talent to a team whose core is already in place and enable a pool of 25 players to choose from.
As for the West Indies’ team, they were not part of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and considering the ODI point table, they will still have to fight in the qualifiers for the ten-team World Cup 2019 tournament. Also, they will also be looking to impress IPL franchises who will be looking for fresh talent in next year’s draft. However, having lost two of their last three home, 2-1 to Pakistan and 3-1 to England, West Indies will be the ultimate underdog here.
But that takes us to the Virat Kohli-led Indian squad, which, after the Anil Kumble-controversy will be looking for some victories under their belt to overcome the bad times. Moreover, if India wins this series by 5-0, the will become the No. 2 ODI team, dethroning Australia from its position.
However, there are still more than a couple of concerns that the Indian team still needs to tackle in order to strengthen their core. With the India vs West Indies tour being a perfect opportunity to get some runs on the bat and wickets in pockets for the Indian players, expectations are really high from the following members of the squad, who need to prove their mettle during the series.
1. MS Dhoni
After leaving the skipper’s cap, expectations were really high from the wicketkeeping batsman had the perfect opportunity to play his natural game and express more with the bat. However, that has not been the case except one such performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and the Indian Premier League, each. During the India vs West Indies series, MS Dhoni would have to put every question on his importance in the middle order to end, as the rise of the youngsters like Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav is putting his place in the squad in danger.
2. Yuvraj Singh
When Yuvraj Singh registered his highest ever ODI score of 150 runs against England during the home season, it laid down the perfect path for his unforgettable comeback to the Indian team but after that, we haven’t seen what we expected to. Be it the spinners or the pace attack, Yuvraj Singh has struggled with tight deliveries, the ball hitting right at the center of his bat is a rare sight. During the India vs West Indies series, why Yuvraj Singh is needed at No. 4 of the batting lineup? Is the question that every fan would be looking to get an answer of. Moreover, the age factor has also started to put his fielding capabilities to question, so that is another area he would have to work on.
3. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin
The dynamic spinner duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin once made Indian bowling attack the best in the world with one being a disciplined bowler, having a grip on his line and length, and the other being the perfect opportunist of the turn, having the best wicket-taking capabilities. Lately, however, both have started conceding ample of runs which might be the result of their treatment as stock bowlers rather than wicket-taking ones. Whatever, the case might be, both Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin would have to find their form back in order to be part of the World Cup 2019.
4. Rishabh Pant And Kuldeep Yadav
While Rishabh Pant is yet to make his ODI debut after a glorious IPL season having scored 366 runs in 14 innings, Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand, was tried against Australia during the home season, where he was able to bowl with exceptional ease and inspiring precision. Both these players are part of the fresh pool that BCCI is looking to infuse in the Indian squad and by what we have seen in their past performances, if they are selected in the playing eleven, fans will witness an awe-inspiring performance.
5. Virat Kohli
Since being named as the full-time Indian captain, Virat Kohli has had a rollercoaster ride as the skipper. While he had a dominant home season, his personal performance in the last series was subjected to a big fall. Same was the case in IPL 2017 which carried out in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Virat Kohli, after being part of the Anil Kumble fiasco, will definitely have to prove his mettle because it that is not the case, this position as the captain might be subjected to even more criticism. One of the biggest concerns for Virat Kohli will be to tackle outside-the-off-stump deliveries, which we have seen him struggling against.
India vs West Indies series is expected to be a one-sided tournament but same was being said about the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. With the perfect pace attack and the likes of Kedar Jadhav, as well as Hardik Pandya, being playing impressive cricket, eyes will be set on the seniors and how well a comeback they make in the India vs West Indies series.