With the series hanging in the balance, India and West Indies face off against one another in the third and final ODI in Cuttack. Although they weren't given much of a chance ahead of this tour, West Indies has surprised a few with their fearless approach in both the T20s and ODIs. They have been aided by some poor Indian fielding as well although credit must be given to the tourists. After conceding the first game, India put on a batting masterclass which saw the whole batting order click together.
With momentum on their side, India is considered as the favourites for this game as they look to seal an ODI series win at the expense of the Windies. With the Barabati Stadium playing host to this game, another cracking encounter beckons. Here are a few tips to help you pick your Dream11 team for IND vs WI.
Squads to choose from:
India:
Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Mayank Agarwal, Kedhar Jadhav, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur.
West Indies:
Kieron Pollard (C), Sunil Ambris, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Keemo Paul, Sheldon Cottrell, Brandon King, Alzarri Joseph, Khary Pierre, Romario Shepherd and Hayden Walsh
Playing XI Updates:
India:
Deepak Chahar is injured which paves the way for the inclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal or Navdeep Saini in the side. If Chahal were to get the nod, it would also force another change with Jadeja making way for a pace bowling allrounder, Shivam Dube. On the other hand, the batting unit remains intact with Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant impressing in the series. Much is expected from captain Virat Kohli, who is due for a big score against the West Indians in this ODI series.
Possible XI: Rohit, Rahul, Virat(C), Iyer, Pant (WK), Jadhav, Dube/Jadeja, Shami, Chahal/Saini, Kuldeep and Thakur.
West Indies:
No changes are expected from West Indies although they did lose their previous game in Visakhapatnam. Evin Lewis and Shai Hope will open the batting for them with the talented duo of Pooran and Hetmyer following suit. Kieron Pollard and Roston Chase assume the role of floaters with the duo capable of bowling a few overs as well. Sheldon Cottrell will lead the bowling attack which features Keemo Paul and Jason Holder. Khary Pierre could get the nod over Walsh with the left-arm spinner expected to get extra bounce from the surface.
Possible XI: Hope, Lewis, Hetmyer, Pooran(WK), Chase, Pollard(C), Holder, Pierre, Paul, Cottrell and Joseph.
Match Details:
India vs West Indies, 3rd ODI
22nd December 2019, 1:30 PM IST
Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
Pitch Report:
The last ODI played here between England and India in 2017 saw nearly 750 runs being made. A similar type of wicket could be on offer with some swing available with the new ball. The spinners will also come into play as the game progresses. Chasing would be the ideal scenario for both sides with the ball coming on nicely under the lights.
Fantasy Tips and Suggestions:
Wicket-keeper: Nicholas Pooran is the first choice for this slot with the south-paw showcasing his range of shots in the previous game. He smashed 75 off just 47 runs in the middle order to give West Indies a glimmer of hope of chasing down 387. Along with Pooran, Hope is also a decent option considering his record in Indian conditions.
Batsmen: Although Virat Kohli has generally done well against the Windies throughout his career, his scores in this series read 4 and 0. He will be itching the close out the series with a big knock which makes him a must-have player in the side. Another such pick would be that of Shimron Hetmyer, who has been very impressive in this tour. One of KL Rahul or Rohit Sharma should also make the cut depending on the balance of the side. Evin Lewis could also score some runs at the top of the order if one were to pick an extra batting option.
Allrounders: Kieron Pollard stands out as the best allrounder option in this game. While Jadeja is quite adept with bat and ball, he could miss this game out if India were to reunite Chahal and Kuldeep in the spin department. Roston Chase, who impressed in the ODIs series against Afghanistan earlier in the year, is one to keep an eye on as well.
Bowlers: Sheldon Cottrell and Mohammed Shami have been the best bowlers from either roster. With four wickets each, both of them are ideally picked in the side for this game. One of Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal should suffice as the second Indian bowling pick along with Shami. Keemo Paul should get the nod over Joseph with Paul's batting ability adding more value to his selection.
Captain: Virat Kohli is certainly due for a big knock in this ODI series. In spite of a minor blip, Kohli still features in the run-scoring charts this year with 1292 runs at an average of 58.73. Along with the Indian captain, Nicholas Pooran and Rohit Sharma are viable picks as well. If one were to pick a bowler for the multiplier options, look no further than Mohammed Shami.
Fantasy Suggestion #1: Nicholas Pooran, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Mohammed Shami, Sheldon Cottrell, Keemo Paul and Kuldeep Yadav. Captain: Virat Kohli, Vice-Captain: Nicholas Pooran
Fantasy Suggestion #2: Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Kieron Pollard, Sheldon Cottrell, Yuzvendra Chahal, Keemo Paul and Mohammed Shami. Captain: Virat Kohli, Vice-Captain: Mohammed Shami
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