India vs Windies 2018, ODI Series: Preview, Schedule, and Squads

After the two Test matches lasted all of six days, we move into the One-Day International leg of Windies' tour of India which is still struggling for relevance.

An honest introspection would reveal how insignificant this Test series triumph is for the Indian Cricket Team, having come on the back of a draining 1-4 defeat in England, in the lead up to an impending tour of Australia and against a Windies side which is arguably weaker than most Ranji teams in India.

The Indian batsmen enjoyed a run-feast as every Windies wicket was an accident waiting to happen and the result was a foregone conclusion. Perhaps the only takeaway for the visitors is that they successfully deprived both Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja of picking up five-wicket hauls.

Now comes the pressing question: Will the five-match ODI series be any different?

The essence of limited-overs cricket is that it reduces the gap of competence between teams and the Windies will predominantly bank on this facet of the game along with a hint of complacency which could creep into the Indians.

Not that they do not have the personnel to put up a fight- the experience of Marlon Samuels will add much-needed weight to the batting lineup which will further be bolstered by the addition of big-hitters like Evin Lewis and Rovman Powell. The bowling attack will be led by captain Jason Holder and Kemar Roach, with the likes of Keemo Paul and Alzarri Joseph as promising youngsters to support them. Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer would be desperate to put their disappointing performance in the test series behind them and vindicate their endorsement as the future of Windies' batting.

As for India, this series will be a continuation of the process of building towards the 2019 World Cup. Virat Kohli would be keen to add to his 749 runs in 9 ODIs in 2018 as he returns to lead the side after being rested for the Asia Cup. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan enjoyed a stellar run in the Asia Cup and India won't mind more of the same from their openers.

This series presents yet another opportunity for India to sort out "The No.4 conundrum"- an issue which has become synonymous with their ODI side. Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, and Rishabh Pant are the candidates likely to be given a run for the no.4 spot in this series, while Dinesh Karthik was inexplicably dropped despite a decent performance in the limited batting opportunities he got during the Asia Cup.

KL Rahul has seemingly been categorized as the reserve opener while Kedar Jadhav's consistent returns with the ball possibly sealed the no.6 position, though he will miss this series due to the hamstring injury he picked up in the Asia Cup final.

India would also hope for MS Dhoni's return to form after a quiet tournament in the Emirates. While it's too early for the team management to question his place in the side, Pant's emergence as India's first-choice Test 'keeper has provided a viable backup option. India have rested first-choice fast-bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah for this series which will provide an opportunity to the likes of Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed, and Umesh Yadav to press their case for the World Cup.

The spinning trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja has been retained and the Windies batsmen must tackle them smartly if they are to compete in the series.

To say that India are favourites to win the series is an understatement. A stiff challenge awaits the Windies against an Indian team nearly invincible at home. India would be disappointed if they do not secure a whitewash over the visitors. On the other hand, the Windies would be determined to prove a point and run India close as many times as possible, if not spring a surprise or two.

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Schedule:

1st ODI: Sunday, October 21, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati [2 pm IST; 08:30 am GMT]

2nd ODI: Wednesday, October 24, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam [2 pm IST; 08:30 am GMT]

3rd ODI: Saturday, October 27, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune [2 pm IST; 08:30 am GMT]

4th ODI: Monday, October 29, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai [2 pm IST; 08:30 am GMT]

5th ODI: Thursday, November 1, Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram [2 pm IST; 08:30 am GMT]

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Squads:

India (First two ODIs): Virat Kohli [c], Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed, Umesh Yadav

Windies: Jason Holder [c], Fabian Allen, Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Oshane Thomas