India vs West Indies 2019: 3 battles to watch out for

West Indies have announced their squad for the T20I and ODI series to be played in India in December. The big-hitting Kieron Pollard will lead the team in both the T20Is and the ODIs.

Despite his involvement in a ball-tampering scandal, Nicholas Pooran has been named deputy to Pollard in the T20Is, and Shai Hope has been appointed vice-captain in the ODIs. Notably, there was no place for all-rounder Andre Russell in either squad, while veteran wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin has been named in the T20I squad.

The Windies, who are the defending champions in the ICC T20 World Cup, will play three T20Is and as many ODIs in India. The series will start with the first T20I at Hyderabad on December 6, followed by the second in Thiruvananthapuram on December 8, and conclude with the final one in Mumbai on December 11.

The two teams will then face off in the three ODIs to be played at Chennai (December 15), Visakhaptnam (December 18) and Cuttack (December 22).

As India and West Indies prepare for the face-off, we take a look at three battles to watch out for in the contest.

#1 Rohit Sharma vs Sheldon Cottrell

Rohit Sharma

With Virat Kohli back to leading the T20I squad, opener Rohit Sharma can focus on his big-hitting duties again. After getting his Test career back on track with a wonderful start as opener, Sharma led from the front in the second T20I against Bangladesh with a match-winning knock.

Sharma is unarguably among the most dangerous openers in the limited-overs format. His amazing record in ODIs and T20Is speaks for itself.

Sheldon Cottrell

Perhaps the only weakness in Sharma’s game is his struggle against left-arm seamers early on. Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir has often trapped Sharma early on, while Trent Boult and Jason Behrendorff too have troubled the Indian opener with the in-coming delivery.

West Indies would be aware of this, and would be hoping for Sheldon Cottrell to do the trick against Sharma.

Cottrell has been among the most consistent West Indies bowlers of late, keeping a check on the batsmen with his pace and accuracy. If he can get past Sharma, we will definitely get to see Cottrell’s signature salute - which might have greater enthusiasm than usual considering the value of Sharma's wicket.

#2 Virat Kohli vs Hayden Walsh Jr

Virat Kohli

Be it Tests, ODIs or T20Is, Indian captain Kohli is currently on top of his game irrespective of the format. He took a break from T20Is against Bangladesh, and would be raring to go again as India look to lock down their team for the ICC T20 World Cup to be held in Australia next year.

With Kohli returning to T20Is, the unofficial battle between him and Sharma for the top run-getter in T20Is will also resume. They have been running neck-and-neck for the past few T20I series.

Hayden Walsh Jr

Like Sharma, Kohli too has one chink in his game, if we can even call it that: he has a habit of getting out to leg-spinners.

Adil Rashid dismissed him twice in England last year as India went 1-2 down in the ODI series, and then in the IPL this year Rajasthan Royals’ Shreyas Gopal bamboozled Kohli not once but twice. Even Aussie leg-spinner Adam Zampa frequently got the better of the Indian captain when Australia visited India earlier this year.

Hayden Walsh Jr may not be in the same league yet, but the stats will definitely give him hope. Walsh Jr demonstrated in CPL 2019 that he is a wicket-taking bowler, with 22 scalps in nine matches at an economy rate of 8.28.

He played a pivotal role in Barbados Tridents' title triumph, and was among the wickets in the recent series against Afghanistan as well. However, bowling to Kohli will be a challenge of a completely different level.

#3 Kieron Pollard vs Yuzvendra Chahal

Kieron Pollard in action during the Caribbean Premier League 2019

If West Indies want to do well in India, their skipper Kieron Pollard will have to lead the way with the bat. It is no secret that, on his day, Pollard can be the most destructive batsman in the world. However, it is the consistency that has often been found missing in Pollard’s game despite more than a decade in international cricket.

With no Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo on the tour, Pollard will have to assume additional responsibility. The West Indian has vast experience of Indian conditions, having won a number of titles for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, and will have to bring all of that into play as West Indies get stuck into their challenge.

Yuzvendra Chahal celebrates a wicket with teammates

Pollard loves taking on the slow bowlers, which is why his battle with leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal could be an interesting sub-plot through the course of the series.

Chahal is not one to back down from a battle. When on song, he tosses the ball up, and is able to beat the batsmen in the air. It will be a challenge for Pollard to go after Chahal, as the ball would be going away from him.

At the same time, it has been observed that the leggie goes flat if the batsman manages to attack him successfully. Pollard would be aware of that, and it would be intriguing to observe how this mini-battle eventually pans out.