Guwahati: India have won the toss and opted to bowl first against West Indies in their opening ODI of the ongoing five-match series here at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Following the toss Indian skipper Virat Kohli said, “We don’t expect the pitch to change much. Our batting, Rayudu will bat at No. 4. Instead of 60-80 partnerships, we need big ones.”
West Indies captain Jason Holder, on the other hand, said that they were, anyways, looking to bat first, adding that the match is a wonderful opportunity for the youngsters to make their mark.
“Probably, we would have liked to bat first. So, looking to put runs on the board. It’s an opportunity for the youngsters to make a name for themselves,” Holder said.
Talking about the team combination, Kohli revealed that wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant would be making his ODI debut in the match. He further confirmed that they will go into the game with three seamers, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja as an all-rounder.
The Caribbean side, on the other hand, confirmed left-hand batsman Chandrapaul Hemraj as their opener. They have also included pacer Oshane Thomas in their squad for the first ODI.
India had thumped the West Indies comprehensively in the Test series, winning 2-0 and would be looking to continue with the momentum in the limited overs format, as well.
The two squads for the match are as follows:
India playing XI- Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (wk), Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal.
West Indies playing XI- Kieran Powell, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shai Hope(wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Marlon Samuels, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder(c), Ashley Nurse, Devendra Bishoo, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]