WI vs IND 2022: 3 Indian players who will hold key importance in 2nd ODI

After a nerve-racking opening encounter on Friday, West Indies and India will square off in the second ODI at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Sunday (July 24).

In the opening fixture, Mohammed Siraj starred with the ball and held his nerve in the final over as India registered a narrow three-run win.

Batting first, India posted 308/7 on the back of quality knocks from Shikhar Dhawan (97), Shubman Gill (64), and Shreyas Iyer (54).

In response, West Indies provided a good fight led by opener Kyle Mayers (75) and middle-order batter Brandon King (54). With the host batters losing heart, the match went down to the wire. Romario Shepherd (39 off 25) did his best with a late blitz but failed to win the game for his side.

Both teams had their fair share of ebbs and flows but the visitors managed to clinch the rip-roaring game.

Ahead of the second ODI, which could potentially be a series-decider, we take a look at the three Indian players who will hold the key on Sunday.

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#3 Shubman Gill

Sheer class and dominance were on display when Shubman Gill operated alongside skipper Shikhar Dhawan in the first ODI on Friday. The right-hander produced some wonderful strokeplay around the Queen's Park Oval and was unfortunate to run out on 64 off 53 balls.

Although his partner Dhawan went on to play longer and scored a match-winning 97, it was Gill's express innings that put the Caribbean bowlers under pressure.

With regular openers, including Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul unavailable for the series, Gill should make full use of his opportunity. His free-flowing striking will once again be crucial for India if they want to pile up a huge score on the board.

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#2 Mohammed Siraj

Following his impressive showing during the third ODI against England, Siraj maintained his consistency and led the visitors' bowling pack with great vigor.

With his hard lengths and intent on swinging the ball, the Hyderabad pacer caused trouble in the opposition camp. He provided the Men in Blue with two priced wickets of Shai Hope and skipper Nicholas Pooran at crucial junctures.

Siraj, who is generally not known for his precise death bowling, put in an even more spectacular job during the second half of the innings and defended 15 runs in the last over to win the game for India.

The tourists will be hoping that Siraj can maintain his momentum and help them win the series in the second ODI after the West Indian batters put in a valiant effort in the previous game.

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#1 Suryakumar Yadav

A player with an unorthodox class and ability, Suryakumar Yadav is a rare breed of batter.

Although his position in the side isn't in jeopardy, the Mumbai-born cricketer would love to stake his claim on the Caribbean Island as well. Suryakumar failed to contribute much in the previous game, which also hampered the team's prospect of posting a mountainous total that they were aiming for.

Suryakumar's proactiveness in the middle overs is what the visitors might need in the upcoming fixture, given that the team has a relatively young middle-order unit.