West Indies were never the favorites to win against India in this series before it started. However, given the way they flexed their muscle against England, the white-ball powerhouse, they would have not expected a one-way affair in their opening match of the series. This is not a long series and with one match already done and dusted, West Indies aren’t really left with many opportunities to make a mark in the series.

They will be desperate to draw level in the upcoming match, which is arguably going to be the most important match of the series for both sides. India already have the advantage and will be looking to close out the series whereas West Indies will be desperate to bounce back to winning ways. Things are going to be pretty interesting, making this match definitely not the one to be missed.

Another incentive of playing well here would be getting highlighted for all the right reasons before the IPL mega auction. The second match of the ODI series between India and the West Indies is to be played at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad on 9th February 2022.

INDIA VS WEST INDIES TEAM PREVIEWS

INDIA

Prior to their first match against West Indies, India’s recent memories in ODI cricket would have been something that the fans and the players wanted to forget. However, they didn’t just shrug those off but also learned from their mistakes, be it with the ball or with the bat.

With a new leader at the helm and a new-look bowling attack, India were on the offense right from the word go. Mohammad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna bowled to their strengths early on in the innings and as a result of that, the Indian spinners were able to make early in-roads. Right after Washington Sundar rocked West Indies with a couple of quick wickets, Yuzvendra Chahal got India ahead by picking up three wickets in a very short time.

Left to chase a total of 177, India were clinical right from the start till the end. There was a bit of wobble during the chase when India lost their fourth wicket, but Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Hooda played a perfect knock each, the wobble never really looked threatening.

India’s first outing was not just only about the roses. There are a few issues that they would want to work upon quickly with the most important of those being the ability to pick up the wickets of tailenders. India had to wait pretty long to get the eighth breakthrough in the previous match and they would want to be a lot more clinical going forward.

Also, one can understand India’s approach to go aggressive at all stages of the game, they would want to play a lot more responsibly. Batsmen once set should be looking too close out the game and that is one area that India would want to work upon diligently.

Even though India aren’t really playing with their full-strength squad, they do have immaculate balance. KL Rahul is expected to walk back into the playing eleven and his presence in the lower middle-order might well allow the top-order to play a lot more freely, especially in the first innings. It’s difficult to say who Rahul will replace, but going by the decisions India’s think tanks have taken in recent times, Deepak Hooda might well be the one to face The Ax.

All in all, India has a pretty good side that has all bases covered. There are a few minor execution issues that they need to take care of and they certainly have all the capabilities to do so. If they can take care of those and play to the on-paper potential, India should be able to rack another home win to their tally.

WEST INDIES

West Indies are experiencing a topsy-turvy time right from the beginning of this year. They were defeated 2-1 by Ireland at home in a series they should have won rather comfortably. In the series they were the underdogs, against England, West Indies rose to the occasion as they pummeled the white-ball champions to take home the T20I series 3-2.

When they take on India in this upcoming match, West Indies will be hoping for a similar kind of turnaround. They were dismal in the first match on all accounts, but the fact that their lower order showed some fight should give them a major confidence boost.

Despite the loss, West Indies should not be too disappointed. Beating India in India is never easy and the fact that West Indies were playing without any warm-up match or acclimatization provides them a bit of benefit of the doubt. Having said that, there’s no running away from their issues and they will want to address those sooner rather than later.

Batting first on a sluggish kind of surface, West Indies were remarkably poor with the bat as they got bundled out for a total of just 176. Had it not been for Fabian Allen and Jason Holder, they would have finished with an even smaller total. On the bowling front, though, they did show tremendous fight, but the total was too small to even trouble the Indians.

On paper, the lack of experience at the top is one thing West Indies would need to be wary of. They cannot really do anything about it, but being a little more circumspect before going for the big ones might well be the way to go. Almost all of their players have the capability to hit it big and West Indies can truly utilize it only if they are able to play fifty overs. If they are able to do that without too many chips down in the upcoming match, they will be a team to watch out for in the series.

INDIA VS WEST INDIES PITCH REPORT

The pitch at Narendra Modi Stadium is a balanced track. The new ball comes nicely onto the bat and the batters can play their strokes freely. However, the surface tends to slow down a bit, assisting spinners from both sides. The spinners will continue to play a major role on this surface.

INDIA VS WEST INDIES WEATHER FORECAST

Clear skies will greet both sides on Wednesday. Temperatures in Ahmedabad are expected to range between 16 and 29 degrees Celsius.

INDIA VS WEST INDIES PROBABLE XIS

INDIA

The bowlers did brilliantly as they knocked over the West Indies on 176. Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar finished with four and three wickets respectively. Rohit Sharam scored 60 at the top of the order and a good partnership between Suryakumar Yadav (34*) and Deepak Hooda (26*) helped them chase down the total.

WEST INDIES

Jason Holder scored 57 but other batters failed to adapt to the conditions. Alzarri Joseph picked up two wickets but the Windies failed to defend the total.

INDIA VS WEST INDIES MATCH PREDICTION

India were brilliant in the first ODI and completed a convincing victory. They will be eager to keep performing in the same way in the second ODI whereas West Indies have to be on their toes to keep the series alive.

India have the winning momentum behind them and expect them to carry it forward and come out on top on Wednesday.

Prediction: India to win this encounter.