WI vs IND Match Preview
Opener Brandon King did get a decent start but failed to convert it into a big inning as he was dismissed for just 17 runs. The same can be said about Alick Athanaze and Shimron Hetmeyer, both of whom fell cheaply. Skipper Shai Hope was the only batsman who showed some sort of resistance and played a gritty knock of 43 runs.
The absence of Johnson Charles was very apparent as the West Indies lacked depth in their batting. The bowlers did a better job compared to the batsmen and will hope to continue with the good momentum. Gudakesh Motie, who is back in the international team after recovering from an injury, was the pick of the bowlers with 2 wickets. However, with such a low total to defend against a quality batting site, there was nothing much that the bowling attack could do.
Despite the absence of some of its best white ball seamers, the Indian pace attack put the pressure early on in the 1st inning. Shardul Thakur, Hardik Pandya, and debutant Mukesh Kumar bowled well with the new ball and picked up 1 wicket each.
It was however the spinners who dealt a body blow to the West Indien batting line-up. Ravindra Jadeja ripped through the middle order, while Kuldeep Yadav cleaned up the tail, picking up 4 wickets for just 6 runs. However, it isn’t all good news for the team. India's star-studded batting line-up made a hash of the meager chase, as the likes of Shubhman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya fell cheaply on the tricky wicket.
However, a breezy half-century by Ishan Kishan ensured that the visitors crossed the line with 5 wickets to spare. India experimented by making changes in the batting positions but we hope that they revert to the original order for this match.
Weather Report
The weather is expected to remain overcast and there is a forecast for rain.
Pitch Report
As seen in the opening match, the pitch at the Kensington Oval isn’t the easiest to bat on. The average first-inning score on this ground is around 240. There is plenty of help for the seamers as well as the spinners. The batsmen will need to settle down before they start playing the big shots.
Notable stats
Gudakesh Motie: Value Pick
While Gudakesh Motie hasn’t played much at the international level, he is a consistent performer in List A cricket. Gudakesh has picked up 51 wickets in 30 appearances and has a bowling strike rate of 30.10.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side.
WI vs IND Probable 11
WI Playing 11
- Brandon King
- Kyle Mayers
- Shai Hope (C)
- Alick Athanaze
- Shimron Hetmeyer
- Rovman Powell
- Romario Shepherd
- Yannic Cariah
- Dominic Drakes
- Jayden Seals
- Gudakesh Motie
IND Playing 11
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Shubhman Gill
- Ishan Kishan (Wk)
- Virat Kohli
- Hardik Pandya
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Shardul Thakur
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mukesh Kumar
- Umran Malik
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing India to win here. They have an excellent record against the West Indies in the recent ODIs and their performance in the 1st match shows that the visitors are up for any challenge thrown at them.
Top Picks
Kuldeep Yadav: Yadav bowled a brilliant spell in the 1st game, picking up 4 wickets for just 6 runs. The surface for the second match is expected to be similar and we think it will again favor the spinners.
Ravindra Jadeja: Jadeja's ability to contribute in all aspects of the game makes him a perfect player for any team. He has scored 2542 runs in his ODI career and has also picked up 194 wickets.
Alick Athanaze: Athanaze is a promising young player from the West Indies team, who has scored the joint-fastest half-century in an ODI debut.
WI vs IND Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: S Hope, I Kishan
Batters: V Kohli, B King, A Athanaze
All-rounders: H Pandya (VC), R Jadeja (C), K Mayers
Bowlers: K Yadav, S Thakur, G Motie
