India vs West Indies: Middle-order in focus as hosts begin preparation for World Cup

India will look to fix their middle-order woes when they take on a depleted West Indies side in the first ODI of the five-match series in Guwahati on Sunday.

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India vs West Indies: Middle-order in focus as hosts begin preparation for World Cup
India are set to try Ambati Rayudu and Rishabh Pant in the middle-order in the ODI series vs West Indies (AP Photo)

In Short

  • Rishabh Pant is set to make his ODI debut in the first game vs West Indies
  • Virat Kohli also backed Ambati Rayudu to bat at No.4 for India
  • India named three spinners in their 12-man squad for the 1st ODI

With 18 matches to go before their first encounter against South Africa in the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales, India's preparations for the tournament will start against the West Indies in the five-match series.

There are some issues to be addressed but the middle-muddle will be the first one that comes to everyone's minds as the team looks to iron out the weaknesses in the side.

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Rishabh Pant is set to make his ODI debut after a good show with the bat in the Test series and Ambati Rayudu is likely to be India's No.4 after captain Virat Kohli backed him to come good after a good show in the Asia Cup.

"The only position we were trying to figure out was number four for a long time. We tried many players who unfortunately could not capitalise or cement their places in a way we wanted.

Also read - Rishabh Pant to make ODI debut in 1st match at Guwahati

"With Rayudu coming in and playing well in the Asia Cup, it's about giving him enough game time till the World Cup so that the particular slot will be sorted for us," Kohli said ahead of the first one-dayer against the West Indies.

Rishabh Pant is set to make his ODI debut on Sunday against the West Indies (AP Photo)

The 21-year-old Pant, who cracked a ton at the Oval in his debut series against England, continued his rich form with consecutive scores of 92 against the West Indies in the two-match Test series. Rayudu on the other hand, scored 175 runs from six innings in Asia Cup 2018 batting at No.3 in the absence of regular captain Virat Kohli.

"The team felt there -- and I also watched him -- that he (Rayudu) is designed to play that middle order batsman's role. We feel that our middle-order is more or less balanced now," Kohli said referring to Rayudu's stellar Asia Cup performance.

Also read - Virat Kohli backs 'consistent' Ambati Rayudu to be India's No.4 at 2019 World Cup

But, Kohli is set to return to the side and will bat at No.3, which means that Rayudu will come down at No.4 with Pant slotting in at either side of Mahendra Singh Dhoni according to the situation.

Speaking of Dhoni, he will once again be under the pump as he has time and again struggled to replicate his old form.

Dhoni was far from his best in the Asia Cup, scoring 77 runs in four innings with an average of 19.25 and a strike rate of 62.09. With Pant now also making the team, Dhoni will be under more pressure to perform and one would hope that he comes good against a lowly-ranked West Indies side, thus, getting a much needed boost in confidence.

Also read - India are probably the best one-day side in the world, wont be easy: Jason Holder

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India will also have the services of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the lower-order and in the absence of injured Hardik Pandya, he will have to step-up.

India have named three spinners in the playing XII for the first ODI (AP Photo)

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will once again be expected to wreak havoc with their spin while fast bowlers Mohammad Shami and an in-form Umesh Yadav will share the workload in the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, who have been rested for the first two ODIs.

The tourists are expected to put up a better show in white ball cricket unlike the Tests.

But the withdrawal of big-hitting opener Evin Lewis from the ODI series citing personal reasons is a body for the side which is already missing Chris Gayle and Andre Russell.

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To make matters worse, coach Stuart Law, who is into his penultimate assignment with the team, will not be allowed in the dressing room in the first two ODIs due to a breach of ICC's code of conduct.

West Indies will bank on veteran Marlon Samuels, captain and all-rounder Jason Holder and pacer Kemar Roach.

The squad features three uncapped players -- opener Chandrapaul Hemraj, all-rounder Fabian Allen and pacer Oshane Thomas.

Squads:

India XII for the first ODI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (C), Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed

West Indies: Jason Holder (C), Fabian Allen, Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kieran Powell, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Oshane Thomas and Obed McCoy.

(With inputs from IANS)