3 positives for India from the 1st ODI vs West Indies
India were nowhere near full strength but they put personnel concerns aside to coast to a comprehensive six-wicket win in the first ODI against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, February 6.
Kieron Pollard's men were inserted into bat and they were never really in the game. India's spinners wreaked havoc in the middle overs as the Windies were bowled out for just 176, after which Rohit Sharma's blistering fifty ensured the hosts crossed the finish line with a whopping 22 overs to spare.
Here are three positives for India from their convincing win in the first ODI.
#3 India turned in a rare positive powerplay bowling performance
Two fours and gone ☝
Mohammed Siraj has the last laugh as Shai Hope plays on for 8.
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India's powerplay bowling has been one of their biggest weaknesses in ODI cricket since the 2019 World Cup. Even frontline bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have struggled to provide breakthroughs in the opening 10 overs, with opposition openers often stringing together meaningful partnerships at a good clip.
In the first ODI, India continued their slow march towards fixing the problem. Mohammed Siraj was struck for two fours by the in-form Shai Hope, but the pacer recovered well with an indipper that went through the Windies opener's defenses. Prasidh Krishna supported Siraj well from the other end as the visitors were 28/1 after seven overs.
Then India unleashed their powerplay spin weapon in Washington Sundar, who immediately started to beat the bat. The end result was that India bowled 46 dots in the opening powerplay - their highest number in any ODI since the 2019 World Cup.
#2 Rohit Sharma showed just how valuable he is at the top of the order
FIFTY!
A well made half-century for @ImRo45, this is his 44th in ODIs.
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Rohit Sharma adds so much value to this Indian team across formats. It could even be argued that he's the side's most important batter, especially after knocks like his in the first ODI.
Rohit's opening partner Ishan Kishan was expected to be the aggressor in the powerplay, but India's new full-time skipper took matters into his own hands. Despite returning to the side after a long injury-enforced break, Rohit appeared to be completely at ease and was severe on Kemar Roach.
Rohit struck 10 fours and a six in his 51-ball 60, which was his 44th ODI fifty. With others like Virat Kohli not at their best, the Men in Blue are heavily reliant on their skipper to lead from the front. He is absolutely invaluable at the top of the order.
#1 India's spinners were exceptional in Ahmedabad
Along with powerplay bowling, the spin department has been an issue for India in ODI cricket over the last few years. With bowlers like Yuvzendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav struggling, the Men in Blue have failed to pick up wickets regularly in the middle overs with only four fielders in the deep.
But in the first ODI, the inclusion of Washington Sundar seemed to catalyze a positive spin-bowling performance. The young off-spinner, playing only his second ODI, beat the bat consistently and challenged both edges. He ended up with three wickets and scalped two wickets in the 12th over, setting the stage for his spin partner to weave his magic.
Chahal joined in on the fun with a two-wicket over of his own, before taking another in his next over. The leg-spinner ended up with a four-fer - the first time he has taken more than three wickets in an ODI since June 2019. With the 2023 World Cup to be held at home, India's pairing of Sundar and Chahal could prove to be very productive.