India vs West Indies 2022: 3 player battles to watch out for in the ODIs
India are set to host a three-match ODI series against the West Indies beginning on Sunday, February 6. All three matches will be played at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.
Post the conclusion of the ODI series, a three-match T20I series will take place. India will play West Indies for those games at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
India's preparations were given a major blow when a group of players were ruled out after testing positive for Covid-19.
Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Navdeep Saini and Shreyas Iyer have tested positive and will sit out the ODI series. The team began training on Thursday (February 3) with the selectors adding Mayank Agarwal and Ishan Kishan to the ODI squad.
Mayank Agarwal has joined the Indian team. He will undergo a mandatory three-day quarantine and will be available for selection for the first ODI on Sunday.
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The series is the potential start of new era for Indian cricket. It will be Rohit Sharma's first assignment as full-time captain in the ODI format. Sharma was unfit for the recently concluded ODI series against the Proteas in South Africa. Vice-captain KL Rahul took over the reigns in South Africa but India lost the series 3-0.
Three player battles to watch out for between India and West Indies
The Kieron Pollard-led West Indies team head into the tour on the back of a 3-2 T20I home series victory against England. Prior to that, the team did concede a 3-match one-day series against Ireland, losing by a 2-1 margin.
With both teams looking to win for different reasons, some key player battles could shape the narrative of the series.
Here are three such player battles to watch out for in the one-dayers between India and West Indies:
#3 Rohit Sharma versus Jason Holder
Jason Holder is currently on cloud nine having won the Player of the Series award in the T20Is against England. Topping the wicket charts, Holder picked up four wickets in as many deliveries in the final over of the series decider.
Given his ability to bowl at any stage of the innings, Holder holds the aces to the visitors' chances with the ball. His accuracy and ability to generate movement will be pivotal against India's captain and opener Rohit Sharma.
Sharma returns to the setup having last played in the 3rd T20I against New Zealand on November 21. After an injury-enforced break, he will be keen to hit the ground running and shrug off any potential rust against the West Indies.
India have been guilty of getting off to slow starts in recent times. With Shikhar Dhawan ruled out, the onus will fall on India's new ODI captain. How he manages to tackle Jason Holder could end up setting the tone for the Indians on the batting front.
#2 Yuzvendra Chahal versus Kieron Pollard
Yuzvendra Chahal has been India's lynchpin in the middle-overs in white ball cricket. However, his recent form has been a cause for concern - a fact that was further substantiated during his ordinary outing in South Africa.
The West Indian batters are generally known to be susceptible against spin. But Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks and Nicholas Pooran are adept batters. However, the biggest cog in the visitors' ranks remains their captain Kieron Pollard.
Pollard has been short of runs in recent times, though. His shot selection during the ODIs against Ireland left a lot to be desired and he will be keen to turn it around in India.
Stifling Pollard with spin has been a long-used tactic to tie him down and prize him out early. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma would surely know a thing or two about that, having captained the big man at Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
Pollard is likely to slot in at No. 6 and so, his battle against Chahal in the middle-overs will be a pivotal one. It remains to be seen if Pollard takes the counter-attacking route to break free or remains content in hanging back before launching an assault in the final overs.
#1 Virat Kohli versus Akeal Hosein
It's a series involving the Indian team - of course, all eyes are going to be on Virat Kohli again. More so, when the wait for that elusive century has continued to extend.
There has been an unusual pattern with Kohli's dismissals in recent times. He gets set, only to perish against the spinners in the middle-overs. To put things into context, all three of his dismissals in the ODIs against the Proteas were tame ones against spin.
The man standing in the way of Kohli and his bid to put that century drought to an end will be Akeal Hosein. Hosein has been one of the breakout performers for the West Indies in recent times, owing to his impeccable accuracy and inward drift.
So much so that his operation with the brand new ball is similar to that of a left-arm inswinger. Hosein ties down the batters like no other and can be the perfect thorn in Kohli's flesh.
Interestingly enough, the last of Kohli's 43 ODI centuries came against West Indies during the 2019 tour of the Caribbean. Life could come full circle in the upcoming ODIs but for that to transpire, he will have to contend with the guile of Hosein.
India's acceleration woes in the middle-overs will be sorted for good once the Kohli of yore manages to switch gears at will. For that to happen though, he will have to avoid getting dismissed in a soft manner against spin this series.