India vs West Indies Match Prediction: Who will win today's 3rd ODI match?
Barbados produced some interesting challenges in the first two ODIs between India and West Indies.
The wicket in Bridgetown made the fast bowlers feel at home while also ensuring that spinners weren't consigned to bit-part roles, resulting in low-scoring contests that asked batters tough questions.
West Indies made the most of the conditions on offer, inciting some poor cricket from India to clinch the second ODI by six wickets and level the series 1-1. That was after the visitors had secured a nervy five-wicket win in the opening game and decided to stick their big guns on the bench.
Action in the series now moves to Tarouba, which will host the deciding clash on Tuesday (August 1). The pacers might not get as much assistance from the wicket, but spinners will be licking their lips at the prospect of having a massive say on the outcome of the series.
The Windies have gone the better part of two decades without a bilateral ODI series win against the Men in Blue. They will know that they have an excellent opportunity to do so, with India likely to carry forward the theme of experimentation they have shown in the series.
India, meanwhile, will look to keep their good record in the Caribbean intact. More importantly, they will want to end the series with fewer questions than answers, which is something they haven't been too good at over the last few years across formats.
India vs West Indies Match Prediction: Men in Blue seek answers in series decider
Shai Hope won the toss in the second ODI and opted to bowl first, a move that proved conducive to his team's fortunes. The West Indies captain has been their brightest spark with the bat, too, and will need to hold the otherwise undercooked middle order together.
If India can make a few early inroads, they will be able to put a great deal of pressure on the West Indian batters. Kuldeep Yadav has been deadly in the middle overs and will have support from the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
The clinching factor for the visitors, though, will be their batting displays. Only Ishan Kishan has stood up to the challenge, with big names like Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya coming a cropper. The batting order has undergone changes galore, and a little stability will go a long way in bringing the unit together.
India have shown an unabashed willingness to experiment, so it's difficult to label them the runaway favorites for the series decider. However, as things stand, they're still the better side on paper and should get over the line if a few things click.
While a close contest could be on the cards, with the hosts definitely in with a shout, India should be able to ensure that their loss in the previous game was just a blip.
Prediction: India to win 3rd ODI vs West Indies.