India will host West Indies in a limited-overs series starting February 6. The three-match ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, with the last game on February 20. All ODIs will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, while the T20Is will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
This will be India’s first series since Virat Kohli stepped down from captaincy in all formats. Rohit Sharma is back in the team after missing the Test series against South Africa. He will lead the team comprising a lot of new players.
The hosts suffered a huge blow to their preparations ahead of the series after our players tested positive for COVID-19. Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Navdeep Saini, who was the standby player, will miss the opening game of the series.
Mayank Agarwal has been added to the squad, and it remains to be seen how the team goes about their business. The Men in Blue will look to start their home season on a winning note, despite a depleted squad.
West Indies, meanwhile, will be led by Kieron Pollard. The visitors are high on confidence after their recent T20I series win over England. They won a close-fought five-game series 3-2.
It was a good team effort from them, and they will now look to carry their momentum into the series against India. However, West Indies will be wary of the subcontinent challenges, and will look to adapt to the conditions quickly.
INDIA VS WEST INDIES MATCH DETAILS
Match: India vs West Indies, 1st ODI, West Indies tour of India, 2022.
Date and Time: February 6, 2022, Sunday; 01:30 PM IST.
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
PITCH REPORT
The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium is good for batting. The new ball comes nicely onto the bat, and batters enjoy batting on this surface, as they can play their strokes freely. Bowlers will have to be disciplined with their lines and lengths.
WEATHER FORECAST
The temperature on matchday in Ahmedabad is expected to range between 13 and 31 degrees Celsius. There is no chance of rain predicted on Sunday, so a full game should ensue.
INDIA VS WEST INDIES HEAD TO HEAD
Played – 133 India – 64 West Indies – 63 Tied – 2 NR – 4
PROBABLE TOP PERFORMERS
PROBABLE BEST BATTER OF THIS MATCH: VIRAT KOHLI
Virat Kohli loves playing against the West Indies. In the 38 innings, he has played against the ‘Men in Maroon’ Kohli has scored over 2000 runs and averages 72.10. Kohli has also amassed a staggering 9 hundreds against the West Indies side in ODIs.
PROBABLE BEST BOWLER OF THE MATCH: YUZVENDRA CHAHAL
In the 5 matches that he has played against the West Indies, Yuzvendra Chahal has scalped 8 wickets and averages 28.88. He will look to run through the West Indian batting lineup in the 1st ODI.
MATCH PREDICTION
The ODI series between India and the West Indies will kick off on February 6. Both teams have exciting players, which should make for a cracking series. Both teams will look to come out all guns blazing in the first ODI on Sunday to draw first blood in the series.
The home conditions should favour Team India, who are expected to come out on top on Sunday.
PREDICTION: INDIA TO WIN THE GAME.