Windies vs India, 3rd ODI – Windies Predicted Playing XI

After they leveled the ODI series against England earlier this year, there have been high hopes on Windies team. They were expected to give a tough competition in the World Cup 2019 and play an aggressive brand of cricket. However, things haven’t panned out that way and the team is on the cusp of losing the ODI series to India. While the first of three ODIs was washed out due to rain, the visitors won the second game comfortably.

Batting has been a troubled forte for the team and skipper Jason Holder also blamed the batting unit for the loss in the previous game. It seems to have been ages since the Caribbean side last won an ODI series. However, they have a chance to prevent the embarrassment and will look to level this series by winning the third ODI.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for Windies

Openers (Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis)

This match, in all likelihood, could be the last ODI for Chris Gayle. Earlier, he said he’d retire after the World Cup 2019 but postponed his plans later. The Jamaican legend will look to finish on a high. Thus far in this series, he hasn’t looked really comfortable scoring 4 and 11 runs in the two games thus far. Should he unleash his full potential, bowlers will have to find places to hide.

Evin Lewis, after the rough patch in the T20I series, has found his form back. He was unbeaten on 40 in the first ODI that was abandoned and scored 65 runs in the next game. However, in the second ODI, his efforts weren’t really sufficient. Lewis should look to make the most of this recently found form and must bat for as long as possible.

Middle Order (Shai Hope (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran)

Shai Hope has seemed to be out of touch in the last few months. There were a couple of instances where he played well and got good scores. However, he has struggled with his consistency. Windies batting line-up usually relies a lot on him and he needs to turn up with a better performance in the third ODI.

Both Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran have looked to be in good touch. They are both timing the ball well and seem quite confident. However, they will need to work on their temperament and be more sensible with the shot selection. Number four and five are really crucial for any team and they should look to get big scores on a consistent basis.

All Rounders (Roston Chase, Jason Holder (c), Carlos Brathwaite, Keemo Paul)

Roston Chase will continue in the eleven and has fared well in the last game. He was the most economical bowler for his team conceding only 37 runs in his 10 overs and even picked up the wicket of the dangerous Rohit Sharma. Batting at number six, he will have a huge role. Jason Holder has got to pick up his performance slightly with the ball.

The Windies skipper should look to bowl in tighter areas and be more economical. Carlos Brathwaite, on the other hand, will hold on to his spot in the team and has done well in the death overs. However, he has got to perform better with the bat. Keemo Paul is likely to be inducted into the eleven given that Oshane Thomas has seemed largely out of sorts with his bowling. This also adds the depth to the batting line-up.

Bowlers (Kemar Roach, Sheldon Cottrell)

Kemar Roach and Sheldon Cottrell will be the two frontline bowlers for Windies. Since the World Cup this year, Sheldon Cottrell has been the most impressive bowler for the team. He is capable of swinging the ball either way and picks up some early wickets as well. Roach has also looked good but should try to be more consistent with the areas where he bowls. He was slightly wayward in the last game and should make the amends quickly.