3 changes Team India can make for the 3rd ODI against West Indies
Team India have clinched the three-match ODI series against West Indies with one game in hand.
Stand-in captain Shikhar Dhawan led from the front in the first ODI, top-scoring with 97 as India were sent in to bat after losing the toss. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer also scored well-made fifties as the Men in Blue posted 308 for seven. The visiting bowlers then held their nerves under pressure to eke out a three-run win.
The second ODI also went down to the wire. This time, West Indies batted first and put up 311 for six, courtesy of Shai Hope’s 115 and Nicholas Pooran’s 74. However, fifties from Shreyas and Sanju Samson kept India in the hunt before Axar Patel (64* off 35) played a blinder to clinch the match and the series for India.
The visitors are known for making modifications to their playing XI in dead rubbers, looking at it as an opportunity to test their bench strength.
Keeping that in mind, we will take a look at the three changes Team India could make for the third ODI against West Indies, which will be played on Wednesday (July 27).
#1 Ruturaj Gaikwad for Shubman Gill
Gill has looked in sublime form in both matches that he has played so far. His 64 in the first game came off only 53 balls as he took the pressure off skipper Dhawan. The 22-year-old looked good for a much bigger score when he threw his wicket away with a half-hearted effort for a single, which saw him get run out.
In the second game as well, the opener looked in control, having eased his way to 43. However, he threw it away again, this time going for a cheeky scoop that ended in a bizarre dismissal. The ball went off the bottom of the bat to the bowler, who took an easy return catch.
It wouldn’t be completely right to say that Gill has utilized his chances to the maximum. But he has definitely shown that he has the game to succeed in white-ball cricket.
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With the series in the bag, India might look to give Ruturaj Gaikwad a go at the top of the order in place of Gill in the final ODI.
Gaikwad is yet to make his ODI debut, although he has played nine T20Is so far. The 25-year-old has an excellent List A record, averaging close to 55 after 64 matches.
Team India might perhaps want to take a glance at what he can offer in the 50-over format.
#2 Arshdeep Singh for Mohammed Siraj
In Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, Mohammed Siraj has lifted his game and has been Team India’s best pacer in the ODI series against West Indies.
His stats might not show the same, but the fast bowler has made a genuine impact in the past two games. He bowled a high-pressure last over in the opening match and got his yorkers right in the nerve-wracking moments. Siraj was economical in the second match as well.
Unlike some of the big names in the Indian camp, the pacer has had comparatively less rest. He played two practice games during the tour of England apart from the rescheduled Test and the third ODI. Before that, he also played 15 matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022. The Indian think tank has a good opportunity to give Siraj some well-deserved rest.
Young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh could come in place of Siraj for the last ODI against the Windies. The 23-year-old made an impressive T20I debut during the series in England, registering figures of two for 18 in the first match.
He didn't play the subsequent games as he was picked only for the opening clash of the series. Will Arshdeep get a chance to make his ODI debut in West Indies?
#3 Ishan Kishan for Deepak Hooda
Over the course of the last few weeks, Deepak Hooda has experienced contrasting fortunes in international cricket.
Following his heroics against Ireland, he was hailed as a potential match-winner in the white-ball formats. He followed it up with a 33 off 17 in the first T20I in England. There was some criticism over the decision to drop him from for the remaining two matches, particularly after Virat Kohli’s horror run with the willow continued.
Hooda, however, has had to face the wrath of fans and critics after two poor performances in the ODI series against West Indies. He managed only 27 off 32 in the first game and followed it up with 33 off 36. In the second match, he was also involved in the run out of Sanju Samson. The 27-year-old tried hard, but just could not get his timing right.
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Ishan Kishan could be tried out in the middle order in place of Hooda in the third ODI. The aggressive southpaw has played three games in the 50-over format for India so far, scoring 88 runs. Kishan’s inclusion would also mean that India would be playing with only five bowlers.
Hooda has chipped in with his off spin in both the games. His absence will be a good test for bowlers, who will know that each of them will have to send down 10 overs each.
Also Read: 5 Indian players who showed promise under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, but faltered