WI vs IND Match Preview

West Indies has made some changes to the Test squad and brought in some more firepower to take on the in-form Indian team. Shai Hope will lead the squad which has a mix of established and rookie batsmen like Rovman Powell, Alick Athanaze, and Brandon King. Shimron Hetmeyer, who hasn’t played an international ODI since July 2021, makes a comeback on the back of his strong performance in the IPL.

Shai Hope has scored 377 runs in his last nine matches while Brandon King has scored 436 runs in his previous nine. If both of them are able to get set, they could open the doors for late-order hitters like Shimron Hetmyer to make a real impact.

All-rounder Gudakesh Motie will get a chance too after recovering from an injury. West Indies has strengthened its pace attack by bringing in Oshane Thomas and Jayden Seales. They will feature alongside Dominic Drakes, Alzarri Joseph, and Romario Shepherd.

The spin attack consists of Yannic Cariah and Kevin Sinclair. 

The Indian team has retained much of its core team for the ODI series and will hope that the players will perform well. Rohit Sharma will lead the team and is likely to open the batting along with Shubman Gill. Both of them scored fluently in the second Test and look in good touch. Virat Kohli too scored a century in the first inning and will play an important role in the number 3 slot.

Gill is averaging 78 in his previous nine matches while Virat Kohli is averaging close to 60.

As far as ODI cricket goes, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are still among the best batters in the world and we would not write off one or even both of thema dding centuries to their tally. Shubman gill has also taken to this format like a fish to water.

Ishan Kishan will most likely find a place in the playing XI, alongside Suryakumar Yadav, while all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja will add depth to the batting. This batting depth that the Indian team posseses is world-class.

Coming to the bowling, Mohammed Siraj will head the pace attack along with Umran Malik and Shardul Thakur, while Yuzvendra Chahal is likely to make the cut ahead of Kuldeep Yadav. The experience that Siraj has garnered in recent times is invaluable but the likes of Malik and Thakur will need to work hard. 

Chahal will relish going up against a West Indian team that struggles to face spin. If Kuldeep Yadav plays then he should be on your radar to pick up wickets because that is what he does with an incredible consistency even if he is a bit expensive. 

Weather Report

The weather is expected to remain warm and humid with temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius. 

Pitch Report

The pitch at the Kensington usually favors the bowlers and isn’t the easiest to bat on. The average first-inning score on this ground is 229. However, the most recent match played here saw over 600 runs being scored. The quicker bowlers will get some assistance early on in the match, while the spinners will come into the picture as the match progresses to the second innings.

Notable stats

Shubhman Gill: New ODI King?

Shubhman Gill has scored 624 runs in his last 9 matches at an average of 78.00 and a strike rate of 117.51. He has taken his power-hitting and game to a whole new level in recent matches and could be someone to really take full toll in this series.

Team News

There are no updates regarding injuries from either side. 

 

WI vs IND Probable 11

WI Playing 11

  • Brandon King
  • Rovman Powell
  • Shai Hope (C)
  • Kyle Mayers
  • Shimron Hetmeyer
  • Romario Shepherd
  • Oshane Thomas
  • Kevin Sinclair
  • Alzarri Joseph
  • Alick Athanaze
  • Yannic Carriah

IND Playing 11

  • Rohit Sharma (C)
  • Shubman Gill
  • Virat Kohli
  • Hardik Pandya
  • Ishan Kishan (Wk)
  • Suryakumar Yadav
  • Ravindra Jadeja
  • Shardul Thakur
  • Mohammed Siraj
  • Umran Malik
  • Yuzvendra Chahal
This is not the official playing 11 for the match. This is a prediction of the expected playing 11 for each team based on the writers analysis.

Dream11 Prediction

We are backing India to win here. They have dominated the West Indies during the Test matches and we expect more of the same here. Also, India enjoys a significant advantage over West Indies in their recent head-to-head encounters. 

 

Top Picks

Mohammed Siraj: Siraj has been the spearhead for the Indian seam attack for quite some time now. He has picked up 20 wickets in his last 9 outings at a strike rate of 17.80 and an economy rate of 4.68.

Shubman Gill : Gill was in blistering form in the recently concluded IPL and we expect him to carry on with the good work. His white-ball ball-striking is at a whole different level and we think he could score big runs in this series. 

Kyle Mayers: Mayers is a reliable all-rounder for the West Indians. He has scored 618 runs in his ODI career and has also picked up 14 wickets. 

 

WI vs IND Dream11 Team 1

Keeper: S Hope

Batters: V Kohli (C), S Hetmyer, B King, S Yadav

All-rounders: H Pandya, R Jadeja (VC), K Mayers

Bowlers: M Siraj, A Joseph, Y Chahal

WI vs IND Dream11 Prediction - OCB Team Prediction