Jonhenry previews the second one day international between India and the West Indies taking place on the 24th of October.
The series moves to the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, which is set to be warm and humid on game day with a chance of afternoon showers.
India v West Indies
Wednesday, 24 October
Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium
Visakhapatnam
10:00
To Win Match
India 1/14
Tie 35/1
West Indies 15/2
India
The form of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continues to insulate India’s untested middle-order, with Ambati Rayudu only required to face 26 balls in India’s eight-wicket win in the series opener. Big centuries from the skipper and opener powered India to a comfortable victory on a batsman’s paradise of a pitch in Guwahati.
India will not have been pleased with the effort with ball, with the West Indies let off the hook after a poor start. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was the only bowler to maintain an economy rate of below a run-a-ball and he also finished with three wickets. All the other bowlers took some tap.
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami bore the brunt of Hetmyer’s assault on the India attack, conceding 81 runs and highlighting the lack of an additional bowling option with both MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant taking a place in the XI.
The victory aside, the team combination looked out of kilter without an all-rounder in the top six, but India appear bent on experimentation in this series, against a weakened West Indies team – and might throw in some surprise picks for the second ODI.
West Indies
The Windies bowlers were smashed to all parts in the first ODI, but there were some positives for the men from the Caribbean to take forward.
Hetmyer continues to have a stellar year and now averages 45 in ODI cricket, but if the West Indies are to compete against India, he will need some top-order support. While the lower-order acquitted themselves well in the effort of 322 for eight, Shai Hope gave it away after getting to 32 and veteran Marlon Samuels couldn’t score.
The Windies struggled to come to terms with Chahal, but things could get even worse for them if he is reunited with spin twin Kuldeep Yadav, who was rested for the first match. The West Indies need to find a way to attack the wrist spinners to keep the series alive.
With the ball, more discipline is required from a young West Indies attack. Spinners Devendra Bishoo and Ashley Nurse were nowhere near matching India’s tweakers for impact on the game. The pair are the only spinners in the squad, so the tourists need them to find form in a hurry.
Verdict: India 15/2
India’s batting power gives them a massive advantage, one that the West Indies will struggle to overcome.
