NEW DELHI: India will again start as overwhelming favourites against the West Indies in a five-match rubber starting at Tarouba in Trinidad from Thursday, less than 48 hours after their ODI series triumph.
The series will provide an ideal platform to the youngsters to express themselves.
India won the previous three-match 50-over series, which was significant because it took place in the year of the ODI World Cup, 2-1 despite suffering a shocking loss in the second game. The favorites will be fired up for the T20 series as well.
India will look to give opportunities to players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, and Mukesh Kumar in these five matches, starting with the opening contest at the Brian Lara Stadium, under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya.
It was their stellar performances in the Indian Premier League that have earned the likes of Varma and Jaiswal a maiden call-up to India's T20I squad and they will certainly look to make the most of it.
On the other hand, the selectors, in the first meeting with Ajit Agarkar as their chairman, brought back Sanju Samson, and the seasoned swashbuckler batter-cum keeper will strive to make the opportunity count and see where he stands as far his place in the ODI World Cup squad is concerned.
Given the West Indies' terminal decline across formats in recent times, the Indians are expected to call the shots.
Ravi Bishnoi is also back in the squad with Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, who will be the spin options alongside Axar Patel.
With Hardik and his deputy for the series -- the last two matches of which will be held in Florida -- Suryakumar Yadav occupying two slots in the middle-order, and the likes of Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill and Jaiswal at the top, it makes for an intimidating batting line-up and the Indians are expected to rake up big totals if the coin lands in their favour at the toss.
Besides newcomer Mukesh, whose three-wicket burst rocked the West Indies top-order in the final ODI here on Tuesday, India will have the trio of Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik and Avesh Khan shouldering the pace bowling responsibility.
With the T20 World Cup scheduled next year, these men will be motivated to perform and cement their places in the team.
As far as the West Indies are concerned, they are coming into the rubber on the back of defeats in the Test and ODI series and will also not find it easy in the slam-bang format, their strongest suit.
Wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope and fast bowler Oshane Thomas have been recalled to strengthen the 15-member West Indies team led by Rovman Powell.
The 29-year-old Hope, the West Indies captain in the three-match ODI series, last played a T20I in February last year in Kolkata during the tour of India.
The 26-year-old Thomas, on the other hand, is coming back after playing his last T20I in Karachi in December 2021.
Kyle Mayers has been named vice-captain of the squad that is aiming for next year's T20 World Cup.
After the opener, the teams will move to the Guyana National Stadium for the second and third fixtures on August 6 and 8.
1/10:India blow away West Indies in decider to seal ODI series
AFP
2/10:India beat Windies
<p>India swiftly erased the memory of a poor second match to annihilate the West Indies by 200 runs in the decisive third and final ODI at the Brian Lara Stadium on Tuesday. </p>AP
3/10:Virat Kohli
<p>Even with senior players in captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still rested India' batting finally came good collectively to post a formidable 351-5 batting first. </p>AFP
4/10:West Indies 151 all out
<p>India seamers then demolished the home side's top order and a ninth-wicket partnership of 55 merely delayed the inevitable with the West Indies bundled out for 151 off 35.3 overs. </p>AFP
5/10:India vs West Indies
<p>India's margin of victory was their second largest in ODIs against the West Indies and also extended their run of bilateral series wins against the Caribbean team in the format to 13. </p>AP
6/10:India openers
<p>Openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan set the tone for the India innings after they were put in. </p>AFP
7/10:Ishan Kishan
<p>Man of the series Ishan Kishan belted 77 off 64 balls in an opening stand of 143, a new record for the wicket for India in ODIs in the West Indies. </p>AFP
8/10:Shubman Gill
<p>Shubman Gill hit 85 off 92 balls before falling to Gudakesh Motie who conceded 38 runs from his 10 overs. </p>AFP
9/10:Sanju Samson
<p>Sanju Samson also wasted no time in taking advantage of another rare ODI opportunity to smash 51 off 41 with four sixes. </p>AFP
10/10:Hardik Pandya
<p>Stand-in captain Hardik Pandya hoisted five sixes and four fours in an unbeaten 70 off 52 ball in this first-ever men's ODI to be played at the venue. </p>AFPThe series will conclude with the matches at the Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida on August 12 and 13.
Teams (from):
India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
West Indies: Rovman Powell (captain), Kyle Mayers (vice-captain), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Obed McCoy, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Oshane Thomas
(With PTI inputs)
