"I have great expectations from Suryakumar Yadav" - Aakash Chopra makes his predictions for 3rd India vs West Indies ODI
Aakash Chopra expects Suryakumar Yadav to be back amongst the runs in the third ODI between Team India and West Indies.
The final game of the three-match ODI series will be played at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Wednesday, July 27. The match will only be of academic interest, with the Men in Blue having already sealed the series with wins in the first two ODIs.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra predicted handsome contributions from Shikhar Dhawan and Suryakumar in the final ODI, elaborating:
"My first prediction is that Shikhar Dhawan and Suryakumar Yadav will together score more than 100 runs. I have great expectations from Suryakumar Yadav in this match, I feel the guy will score runs."
The cricketer-turned-commentator added:
"Suryakumar Yadav's T20 numbers are phenomenal, he is doing brilliantly well but it is going slightly stop-start in ODI cricket. The wait is on for a big innings. Shikhar played well in the first match, he didn't have the flow in the second match. I will expect him to score runs again in the third match."
Chopra feels Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope will play substantial knocks for the hosts. He observed:
"Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope will together score more than 100 runs. Hope alone scored a century in the last match. There was a lot of criticism at the start that he is playing for himself and disadvantaging his team but he accelerated in the end and I thought there were enough runs on the board."
Chopra had the following to say about the Windies skipper:
"Pooran is looking in good form. He played a bad shot to get out in the first match, he walked too far across to Shardul Thakur in the second match and the ball hit his stumps but he is batting well, so you expect runs from him."
Hope and Pooran were West Indies' top run-getters in the second ODI. While the right-handed opener scored 115 runs off 135 balls, the left-handed middle-order batter smashed 74 runs off 77 deliveries.
"Axar and Siraj will together take three or more wickets" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra reckons Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj will be amongst the wickets for Team India, subject to both of them playing the game. He elaborated:
"Axar and Siraj, if Siraj plays, will together take three or more wickets. If there can be a change, it will be something like this only. Yuzi Chahal will also be a part of it. You can keep anything - Axar plus Siraj, Chahal plus Siraj, or Chahal plus Axar, I see all of them as candidates for three or more wickets."
Chopra concluded by predicting that the visitors will complete a whitewash in the final ODI. The 44-year-old said:
"I feel they will win one more match. It will be a clean sweep in India's favor."
West Indies have suffered 3-0 reversals in their last two ODI series against Pakistan and Bangladesh. They will hope to win the final game against India and avoid being swept again.