West Indies vs India, 1st ODI: Preview, Dream11 and more
West Indies and India gear up for the first ODI of the three-match series to be held in Guyana on Thursday. India go into the ODI series as the favorites after a convincing 3-0 win in the T20Is. This is set to be Chris Gayle's farewell ODI series. One expects a cracking contest between the two teams. Here's the complete match preview.
Dhawan to return, Rahul might be pushed to number four
Shikhar Dhawan is set to return back as the opener of Team India. He will play alongside Rohit Sharma. This could see KL Rahul come out at number four. One place will be tossed between Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey. Pacer Mohammed Shami will come in. Navdeep Saini might get his ODI debut. India might opt for three pacers and two spinners.
Windies look up to Gayle magic
West Indies will want to find solace in the form of Chris Gayle. The veteran swashbuckling batsman was in good touch in the Global T20 Canada. After a poor show in the T20Is, Windies will want to turn things around in ODIs. Jason Holder is set to lead the side. The onus will be on players like Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran.
Dream11: Kohli leads a powerful unit on offer
Gayle and Rohit re the choices to open the batting in this Dream11 team. Virat Kohli comes in next and gets the nod as captain. Rahul, wicket-keeper batsman Shai Hope and Pooran (vice-captain) form the middle order. Ravindra Jadeja is the lone all-rounder. Shami leads the pace-bowling unit. Keemo Paul and Sheldon Cottrell join him. Yuzvendra Chahal is the second spinner in the team.
Key players to watch out for
The platform will be there for Kohli to come and show his mettle in a format he rules. Kohli can script many records in this series and he is India's main weapon. After a strong show in the World Cup, Shami will be aiming to perform well. For Windies, the likes of youngsters Hetmyer and Pooran will be wanting to express themselves.
Timing, TV listing and pitch report
The match will start at 7:00 PM IST. One can watch the match live on the Sony Ten Network. The pitch in Guyana will be similar to that of Wednesday. It won't be an easy track to bat. Players will need to be patient.
