All eyes will be at the PCA International Stadium in New Chandigarh on Saturday, October 3, when India host the West Indies in the third and final ODI of the series being played between the two teams. India have already wrapped the series up after winning the first two games in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati, but will still look to keep their feet on the accelerator on Saturday. The Indian team have a lot of established stars in their ranks such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, and they will be hard to dislodge from their respective perches by the West Indians.
The visitors have flattered to deceive with the ball in hand, but they have been nothing short of exceptional with the bat in this series. In the first match, they scored 295, and in the second, they amassed a whopping 405. Unfortunately, the targets set by the West Indians were chased down successfully by the home team on both occasions. On Saturday, the visiting side will be keen on executing their plans with the ball, since that appears to be the only chance for them to prevent the Indian juggernaut from rolling forward.
India’s bowlers have also suffered in this series, but the wealth of experience shown by their batters has managed to overcome these challenges. Whether it was Kohli and Gill’s centuries in the first game, or Sharma’s ton and Gill’s double in the second, India’s batters have consistently overcome their bowlers’ moderate performances. On Saturday, if their batting unit fails to deliver for some reason, India will be in deep trouble. Therefore, their bowlers, too, need to start executing their strategies to prevent the West Indies batters from building partnerships.
Predicted Teams
IND: Rohit Sharma,
Shubman Gill (c),
Virat Kohli,
Ruturaj Gaikwad,
KL Rahul (wk),
Naman Dhir,
Ravindra Jadeja,
Auqib Nabi,
Gurnoor Brar,
Kuldeep Yadav,
Prasidh Krishna.
WI: John Campbell,
Keacy Carty,
Shai Hope (c) (wk),
Amir Jangoo,
Sherfane Rutherford,
Roston Chase,
Keemo Paul,
Alzarri Joseph,
Shamar Joseph,
Jayden Seales,
Vitel Lawes.
Key Players
Shubman Gill (IND): Captain Shubman Gill has been the best batter for India in this series. In the two matches played so far in this series, Gill has already scored a century and a double century. The latter was the fastest-ever scored in this format of the game. The classy batter is known for his composed nature at the top of the order, as well as his willingness to time the ball instead of using brute force. If the West Indies do not get him out cheaply, they will be taken to the cleaners.
Amir Jangoo (WI): Amir Jangoo’s ton in the second game provided welcome relief to the West Indies supporters after his promising start in the first match. The southpaw was a delight to watch, and consumed just 77 deliveries on his way to scoring 114. Jangoo will be one of the trump cards for the Windies batting unit alongside captain Shai Hope and John Campbell, especially in the middle overs when the Indian spinners are in full flow. Jangoo’s ability to use his feet to get to the pitch of the ball when tackling the tweakers makes him stand apart from his competitors.
Match Prediction
India are the overwhelming favourites to win, simply due to the experience and expertise they have in their side. Coach Gautam Gambhir also knows that his wards may be switched off just a tad, given how easily they have overcome challenges sent their way by the West Indies in this series. However, India need to remain switched on for as long as possible to effect a clean sweep and complete a whitewash over the West Indies. The Men in Blue have enough players in their ranks who can decimate the West Indies, both with the bat and ball in hand.
