India's predicted playing XI for the 2nd ODI vs West Indies
Team India will look to seal the three-match series against West Indies when they lock horns with the home side in the second ODI in Barbados on Saturday, July 29.
The Men in Blue are on the back of a strange win over the Windies in the opening ODI which saw Rohit Sharma bat at No. 7 and Virat Kohli stay in the pavilion even though five wickets fell in the chase. Their bowlers did well, though, and they will want to continue in the same vein as their preparations for the 2023 World Cup ramp up.
India's ODI squad for the West Indies series: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.
Here is India's predicted playing XI for the second ODI against West Indies.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill
Rohit demoted himself in the batting order in the series opener, with Ishan Kishan taking his place. Although the southpaw notched up a half-century, the only one of the game, the Indian skipper should be back to his ideal position, especially if his side either bat first or chase a significant total.
Shubman Gill nicked off in the opening ODI after playing a nervy knock and will want to return to his imperious best soon. The young opener has plundered runs in the format over the last year and is bound to score big in the near future.
Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wk)
Virat Kohli wasn't required with the bat as India chased down 115 in 23 overs, but he is likely to be seen in action in the second ODI. The superstar batter is slowly working his way back into peak form and will want to notch up more big scores in the lead-up to the World Cup.
Suryakumar Yadav just hasn't been able to come good in ODI cricket. He made 19 in the first ODI before being trapped LBW, and there is a real case for the maverick batter to be replaced by Sanju Samson. However, the team management seem to have immense faith in SKY, and he could be given one last chance to make a mark.
If India view Kishan as a backup opener to Rohit and Gill, they could field Samson ahead of him to test out the 28-year-old's fit in the middle order. Being a left-hander, though, Kishan might be in consideration to play a middle-order role in the World Cup. So Samson might warm the bench once again.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur
Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja endured contrasting fortunes in the previous game, but they're sureshot picks in the playing XI barring any injuries.
Will India want to play an additional spinner? The Barbados wicket produced a great deal of turn two days ago, and the Men in Blue have two options in Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal who can replace Shardul Thakur in the side.
Playing Axar, in particular, is a real possibility. As things stand, though, Rohit and Co. might not want to make hasty changes after a game that gave them barely any takeaways.
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar
Picking India's bowling attack for the second ODI is a straightforward task. Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav bowled only 11 overs between them in the previous game and should retain their places in the team.