While India managed to open their ODI campaign against West Indies a hard fought win, their inability to limit a dwindling Windies side became a concern. India have rested several key players in their ongoing ODI series, such as Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli, which could have backfired in the first ODI. India set a target of 309 in the first match, however, the Indies managed to put up a valiant display, finishing four runs short of a win.
Acting captain Shikhar Dhawan, who is in charge of the team for his second series, came up short of century for three runs. While the Indian top order performed as expected, the middle order consisting of Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel failed to cross the 30-run threshold. This will be a matter of concern ahead of the second ODI, and India must look to fix it if they are to win the match.
Also Read: India vs West Indies 2nd ODI: Records, statistics and pitch report
Here is India’s predicted XI in the second ODI against West Indies:
Shikhar Dhawan: The acting Indian captain began with a win and was impressive while batting. He missed a century by only three runs and will be looking to complete one on Sunday.
Shubman Gill: The youngster was overly impressive against the Windies in the first ODI as he played his career-best knock of 64 off 53 balls. Gill will look to build on his earlier performance to give the Indian selectors a selection headache.
Shreyas Iyer: The 27-year-old did not let the absence of Virat Kohli be felt and is becoming a strong contender for his place if the latter is to be excluded in even more matches in the future. He scored 54 runs and will be hoping to continue his good form on Sunday.
Suryakumar Yadav: While Yadav was one of India’s standout performers in England, he failed to replicate that performance in the previous match against West Indies. He scored only 13 runs and will be looking to reinvent himself once again on Sunday.
Sanju Samson: The wicketkeeper’s heroics to save a potential boundary, that would have given the victory to the Windies, will look to improve his batting. Samson has often been left out of the squad by selectors in the recent past, and if he is to prove them wrong then he will have to live up the hype.
Deepak Hooda: Was an able bowler against West Indies but did not shine while batting. Hooda will need to be more vigilant against the opposition pacers and will need to perform to his best self, as was seen against Ireland.
Axar Patel: The 28-year-old had an average outing last Friday, but is expected to be handed a start again as India look to seal the series without experimenting.
Shardul Thakur: Jadeja’s replacement in the ongoing ODI series, Thakur had the highest economy rate against the West Indies batters, however, also took two wickets. The 30-year-old will look to reduce conceding runs in the second ODI.
Also Read: Focus on bowlers as India look to seal series vs West Indies
Mohammed Siraj: The 28-year-old seamer turned leader of the bowling lineup in the absence of Shami and Bumrah. He will look to do the same in the second ODI and claim more wickets.
Yuzvendra Chahal: Following a successful campaign against England, Chahal had a strong start against West Indies when he took two wickets in the first ODI. He will look to continue his impressive form in the second match to give India an edge over the Windies.
Prasidh Krishna: Krishna did not have a great time against West Indies in the first match, however, will be looking to redeem himself the second ODI or risk losing his spot to others later.