Key points from the first ODI between India and West Indies

First ODI between India and West Indies turned out to be a monotonous affair at the end of the day as most of us expected but the crowd was entertained by some scintillating shots from Kohli and Rohit. Maybe at the end of the West Indies innings, it seemed as if they could give India a fight, but it was too weak a thought given India's top order and good batting conditions.

West Indies bowling looked far too fragile and despite an early wicket and promising start from debutant Oshane Thomas, the Rohit-Kohli duo was too hot to handle for the inexperienced Windies bowling. India chased the target with utmost ease with 47 almost eight overs to spare and both of them scored magnificent tons.

It was after West Indies were put into bat by the Indian captain. West Indies didn't have the greatest of starts with debutant Hemraj falling in just the fifth over. West Indies then took the as usual attacking option with Shimron Hetmyer taking the charge. With century from Hetmyer and handy contribution from Powell, Holder and down the order from Nurse and Bishoo, they managed to set a decent target of 323 for the hosts to chase.

Here are a few noticeable points from the first ODI.

Team Selection

Kohli and undebatable team selection can never go hand in hand. ODI in Guwahati was no exception. While almost everyone conceived a choice between Mohammed Shami and Khaleel Ahmed, Kohli chose to drop Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep who has been the mainstay of this Indian bowling lineup was left out against the weak and inexperienced West Indies batting lineup which he could have easily exploited. Preference of Jadeja was more of a conservative move to strengthen the batting in the absence of Pandya and also given India's fragile middle-order.

Big Day for Pant

Indian youngsters can't be kept out of the headlines these days. Be it Pant or Shaw, they have been the talk of the town. Pant's brilliant performances earned him an ODI call which I think should have been a while ago. Pant was drafted straight into the playing 11.

Even though he didn't have a chance to bat, but when he does have it, his eye would be on the World Cup squad. Pant could well be the perfect option India was searching for in the middle order. He could play the role of a pinch hitter.

Dhoni at No.4 when the team needs to steady the ship and when the team needs a punch, Pant could be that guy. With Dhoni, Jadhav and Pandya there to back up, even if he gets out cheaply, there wouldn't be much panic. He could well turn out be the X-factor in this top-heavy Indian batting order.

Another Kohli special but not his very best

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Nowadays, Kohli is having hundreds for breakfast. The chase master aced another chase with a masterful and a strokeful century against the West Indies in the first ODI. It was his 36th ODI hundred in his 204th innings while Sachin took 311 innings to do so which tells the quality of the modern master. The frequency with which he is making ODI hundreds, Sachin's record is just a few years from now.

But what was noticeable in his innings in Guwahati was that in the initial phase, he was trying too hard for runs and was not in proper control as he is most of the times with many edges highlighting the fact. Unlike his usual approach of rotating the strike, he was dealing more in boundaries. But as the innings progressed, Kohli more than made for it as he treated the crowd to some breathtaking shot-making.

Rohit's record 150 plus scores

England v India - 3rd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

A man with three double hundreds in ODIs and a highest score more than what many have in Tests, Rohit Sharma's capability to make daddy hundreds is not hidden from anyone. Once set, there is hardly anyone who could stop him. Poor West Indies also suffered the same fate.

Rohit Sharma played calmly initially while his captain was toying with the bowling attack, but when Rohit started to have a go, it appeared as if both batsmen are having a walk in the park. Even after Kohli's dismissal, Rohit carried his exploits and finished the match with a six to bring up his 150.

With this innings, Rohit now has six 150's scores, more than anyone in the history of the game. He went past the great Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and David Warner who have five each. He also became the fourth fastest to 20 ODI hundreds behind Hashim Amla(108), Virat Kohli (133) and AB de Villiers(175)