West Indies are set to host India for a three-match ODI series and the opening clash is set to take place at the Queen’s Park Oval on Friday, July 22.
West Indies
WI faced a defeat to Bangladesh in their last bilateral 50-over series and would have a large scope of improvement. They are on a six-match losing streak in the format, and have one of the worst win-loss ratios in ODI cricket this year. They will look to find the contributions from Jason Holder and Nicholas Pooran.
Captain Nicholas Pooran and coach Phil Simmons have asked their players to make sure they bat out full 50 overs, something they have struggled with of late. Since January 2021, West Indies have batted first 12 times in ODI cricket; on nine occasions, they failed to last their full allocation of overs. Jason Holder is back after having been rested for the Bangladesh series.
India:
On the other hand India are heading into this series with a second-string squad, and the likes of Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah are few of the absentees. However, there are few players like Suryakumar Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, and skipper Shikhar Dhawan, who will be confident of their abilities after a win in the ODI series against England. Team India will be without their permanent captain Rohit Sharma and in his absence Shikhar Dhawan will lead the visiting team.
WAGING ODDS: West Indies(3.60) Vs India (1.25)
West Indies are the underdogs and are priced at 3.60, meaning if you bet ₹100 on them and if they win the match, you’ll be making ₹360.
India are the favorites and priced at 1.25 meaning if you bet ₹100 on them and if they win the match, you’ll be making ₹125.
Our Prediction:
The pitch is expected to assist the spinners on this pitch, to put runs under control and take wickets at a regular interval. However, the batting unit can post a strong score on the board, on the back of partnerships. A total of around 250 should be the par score. Given the recent triumph against the Three Lions, India are likely to get away with a win.
Prediction: India to win
