India vs West Indies, 2019: 1st ODI: Match Prediction – Weather Report, Pitch Conditions, Playing XIs and Live Streaming Details

Mayank Agarwal and Shardul Thakur were included in the squad after Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were sidelined due to injuries.

Published - 14 Dec 2019, 16:58 IST | Updated - 14 Dec 2019, 16:58 IST

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After annihilating West Indies in the recently-concluded T20I series, the Men in Blue will be eager to continue their winning momentum in One-day Internationals, in pursuit of their 2023 World Cup triumph as India have already started shuffling and chopping their squad ahead of the marquee event. The two sides will clash at M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

Skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma, who exhibited their class in the T20I series against the Caribbean side, will be eager to recreate their magic in the ODI series. The duo will be assisted by KL Rahul, who also showcased glimpses of his forte in the third T20I at Wankhede. The Karnataka-born right-hander smashed 91 runs off just 54 balls to steer India to the series win.

India, who are playing an ODI after almost four months, will be hoping to end their year on a high. The No.4 conundrum still haunts Team India as Shreyas Iyer is expected to flourish the middle-order of the hosts.

The hosts have suffered a major blow after a groin injury has sidelined their premier pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Shardul Thakur is set to replace him. Thakur will be assisted by the man in prolific form- Deepak Chahar. The duo will be leading India’s bowling force alongside Mohammed Shami.

Similarly, West Indies will also be hoping to replicate their recent ODI performance, where they swept Afghanistan in the three-match series. Roston Chase, who emerged as the ‘Player of the Series’ against the Afghan side, is expected to deliver a formidable performance on the Indian soil. The Afghanistan-West Indies series witnessed many players exhibiting individual performances for West Indies.

Shai Hope scored an unbeaten ton in the third ODI to hit the final nail in the coffin. He was also assisted by the steady knocks of Roston Chase and Brandon King. A strong batting line-up comprising the likes of Kieron Pollard, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer is expected to give the hosts a run for their money. India will certainly have an upper hand considering the recent form and their arsenal of players. However, West Indies- as they exhibited in the second T20I- have the capability to turn the tables at any point.

Pitch and Conditions

There are no chances of rain to intervene in the match. However, the weather is expected to be cloudy. The temperature in Chennai will hover around 25-30 degrees Celcius with a lot of humidity. The team winning the toss is expected to field first. Bowlers will get some movement with the new ball and the wicket will assist spinners as the game continues.

Team Combination

India

Mayank Agarwal and Shardul Thakur were included in the squad after Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were sidelined due to injuries. Skipper Virat Kohli, who is in sublime form, has an excellent record at Chepauk. The right-hander is expected to continue his run-scoring spree in Chennai. He will be joined by KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, who also delivered match-winning performances in the T20I series.

The duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal is set to mark its return as the team management has not utilized both the spinners in tandem. It will also be interesting to see how youngster Rishabh Pant fares in the series, especially when Sanju Samson is knocking on the door of Team India.

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Shivam Dube/Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami.

West Indies

After sustaining a knee injury in the third T20I against India, Evin Lewis’ availability still remains uncertain. Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope and Roston Chase wrecked the Afghanistan bowling force in their previous ODI series. The trio will be hoping to recreate their performance against the Indian bowling unit. Sheldon Cottrell and Alzarri Joseph will be leading their bowling line-up, joined by youngster Hayden Walsh.

Predicted XI: Shai Hope (WK), Evin Lewis/Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Nicolas Pooran, Kieron Pollard (C), Jason Holder, Keemo Paul/Romario Shepherd, Sheldon Cottrell, Hayden Walsh, Alzarri Joseph