The Test series is over as Rohit Sharma and Co begin their preparation for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023. But ahead of India vs West Indies ODI series, Rahul Dravid and Sharma have 3 major challenges at their hands. The duo must go on to fix the wicketkeeper issue along with selecting a pacer and the spin attack for the 3-match ODI series against the Caribbean opponents.
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Wicket Keeper Conundrum
The first and foremost thing that Rohit Sharma needs to clear out is the wicketkeeper conundrum in the Indian Cricket Team. There are two available options for the Indian skipper. Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, who gets the nod for the India vs West Indies ODI series. While KL Rahul is an obvious fit for keeping in the World Cup, India needs a wicketkeeper who can act as a second fiddle to Rahul.
And India vs West Indies ODI series is a perfect opportunity to test this. While Ishan Kishan got the nod ahead of KS Bharat in both the Test matches, will Rohit Sharma put his trust on Sanju Samson? The Keralite cricketer has been aiming to fix his spot in the Indian team for quite some time and this will be a good opportunity for Samson to prove his worth.
Kishan on the other hand is a good keeper and a proven batter. He has a double century under his belt in ODIs against Bangladesh and played aggressive Bazball in India’s second innings in the IND vs WI 2nd Test when he came to bat ahead of Virat Kohli to slam a 34-ball 52. It will be a real headache for Sharma in choosing the man behind the stumps from either of the two.
“The question is if Ruturaj/Ishan get a run at No 3 and Virat Kohli drops down to No 4,” said Abhinav Mukund.
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Mukesh Kumar or Jaydev Unadkat
The next headache for Sharma would be to choose between Mukesh Sharma and Jaydev Unadkat. India has a strong pace lineup ready for the series with Mohammed Siraj ready to spearhead the attack. Shardul Thakur might be an option as he is handy with the bat. But it was Mukesh Sharma who got his Test debut in the 2nd Test after Thakur was rested with a left groin injury.
While Unadkat is experienced and a left-arm pacer provides a wide variation to the right-hand batters, Mukesh has been good in his debut match where he scalped 2 wickets in the first innings. It remains to be seen who gets the nod along with Siraj and Umran Malik.
“First thing is to get the combination right. Mukesh Kumar and Jaydev Unadkat are two options in bowling and India must prepare a 4th seamer option for WC,” said Saba Karim while Zaheer Khan said, “Middle order is still a concern for India. I don’t think India need to think much about bowling. Should Sanju Samson come in or Suryakumar Yadav? Umran and Mukesh will be my picks.”
Kul-Cha or Axar-Jadeja-Kuldeep
Lastly comes the challenge regarding the spin option in the team. There is no doubt that Ravindra Jadeja will head the spin attack for the Men in Blue, but confusion arises regarding the choice of the other two spinners. Another obvious choice is Yuzvendra Chahal who has been good for India over the years.
Should Rohit go for the once formidable Kul-Cha pairing or should he go for the traditional choice of Axar Patel with Chahal? It will be a fresh sight to see Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal weaving their magic on the field, thereby providing India with an extra option if Kuldeev performs well.
On the other hand, Axar is a good pick. Not only is he a destructive finisher, he is extremely crucial for India to pick wickets at regular intervals. All in all, it will be a really tough choice for Rohit Sharma to choose his team for the India vs West Indies ODI series.
India’s ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.
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