Here are 5 reasons why you should be paying close attention to the contest in India vs West Indies, 1st ODI at Guwahati.
India will look to continue their good run after an emphatic Test series victory over the West Indies side, while the Windies will aim to shock the hosts, when the two team meet in the first of the 5-ODI at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.
While India hold a clear upper-hand over the Windies, there are several reason to pay close attention to the contest.
1. Rishabh Pant's ODI debut
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Rishabh Pant is set make his ODI debut at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Pant is most likely to play as a specialist batsman with MS Dhoni behind the stumps. It will be interesting to watch Pant, who has made a great start as a Test cricketer. He will look to grab the spot in the Indian middle order and establish himself as the successor of MS Dhoni. (Image: PTI File Photo)
2. India Middle Order
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India will hope to get more answers for their unresolved middle-order puzzle. Rishabh Pant will get a chance to enter the equation while Amabati Rayudu will the man to watch out for. Rayudu is expected to bat four and will look to carry forward his fine form of Asia Cup where he amassed 175 runs. (Image: PTI)
3. MS Dhoni's form
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The focus once again will be on MS Dhoni, whose batting ability is on the wane and with limited playing time in the middle, the job gets only tougher for the legendary cricketer. However, chief selector MSK Prasad has time and again said that Dhoni remains the first choice wicketkeeper at least till the World Cup. In 2018, he is averaging 28.12 with a strike rate of 67.36. (Image: AFP)
4. India's reserve pacers
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While India's spin department will see the potent duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Shami and an in-form Umesh Yadav will be looking to cement their place in the team in the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah. Rookie left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, who impressed in the two matches he played in Asia Cup, will look to grab the third seamer slot. (Image: File Photo)
5. West Indies fightback
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While India are currently ranked secondi in the ICC ODI rankings, West Indies are placed 9th. Still the visitors are expected to be much more competitive in ODIs than they were in the longest format. Windies will miss the services of Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell. However, the team has some stars in veteran Marlon Samuels, captain and all-rounder Jason Holder and pacer Kemar Roach. Always an unpredictable side in limited-overs cricket, Windies will love to shock India at home. (Image: PTI FIle)
