India's tour of Windies: Predicted XI of Windies

Windies must get their combinations right for the third game and come back in the series strongly.

By Unmesh Arun Phule

Updated - 29 Jun 2017, 23:58 IST

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India lead the five-match One-Day International series against Windies by one game to nil. They smashed the hosts by 105 runs in the second ODI which came after the washout in the first game. Kuldeep Yadav and Ajinkya Rahane emerged as stars and it was only Shai Hope on the losing team who had a better game than any other.

Windies have added more firepower to their squad for the remainder of the series. They have introduced two new talents in Kyle Hope and Sunil Ambris. The latter is a wicket-keeper batsman while the former is a top-order technician. Both of them, if played, will make their debut for the Windies.

The men in maroon need a boost from somewhere and their experienced players must chip in at this moment. They have had a string of losses at home now and are staring at another series loss. They must get their combinations right for the third game and come back in the series strongly.

That said, we have done our work and here is our predicted XI of the Windies for the third ODI in Antigua.

Openers (Shai Hope and Kieron Powell)

Shai Hope showcased his composure and talent in his well-made 81 in the second ODI. Though his knock went in vain he was the only one who showed some resilience. The second highest score in the Windies lineup was 33. That shows how poor others performed. However, this guy will be massive for Windies in the coming matches.

Kieron Powell was undone by some masterful bowling by Bhuvaneshwar Kumar in the second ODI. However, he will be itching to get one back in the third game. He has the talent and has shown how harmful he can be. Powell has been around for a long time now and knows the internationals pretty well. His experience will come in handy at this crucial stage for Windies.

Middle-Order (Evin Lewis, Kyle Hope and Jonathan Carter)

Windies have got some firepower in their opening pair but are not complimented by their middle-order. They have got talents like Evin Lewis who is a sweet timer of the ball and can hold the fort whenever required. He is an explosive opening batter but can play in the middle order as well. He has been playing there for quite some time now. His form is very important for Windies to succeed.

Kyle Hope is the older brother of Shai Hope. He might take the place of Jason Mohammad who is struggling at the moment. Kyle Hope could make his debut for the Windies at the age of 28 and he is very sound technically and has a habit of keeping the scoreboard ticking. He will bring stability to this wobbly Windies middle order.

Jonathan Carter has been a heavy run-scorer in the domestic circuit. He has been doing well there and has been in and out of the team since the World Cup 2015. Carter is a left-handed batter and can also chip in with a few medium pacers if wanted. The 29-year-old is an instinctive player and plays according to the situation.

All-rounders (Jason Holder and Roston Chase)

The captain is a major source of inspiration for this team and his form is not up there right now. He has been struggling with both bat and bowl. However, he can turn it around for himself and if he does his team will eventually do well. He is stepping up for Windies in some tough times and needs to keep going if his country is to come out of this mess without losing much ground.

Roston Chase is a fantastic player. He is a right-arm off-spinner by name but has a solid defense. He has three centuries in Test cricket and that tells us so much about him. Roston can maneuver the ball all around the ground and is very good at absorbing the pressure. He is very important to this Windies team and even he needs to step up if Windies are to succeed.

Bowlers (Ashley Nurse, Devendra Bishoo, Alzarri Joseph and Miguel Cummins)

Nurse has come a long way. He was not even playing in the domestic side previously but strong performances in the Caribbean T20 League has given him a chance to represent his country. Nurse is a right arm off-spinner, he is accurate and seldom leaks runs. The 28-year-old can also bat and is aggressive in his approach.

Devendra Bishoo has been around for quite a while now. He was a talent to watch when he came in and created a lot of noise with his dipping leg spinners. The 31-year-old is one of the most experienced players in the team and holds a lot of responsibilities. Bishoo’s wrist spinners can create a havoc but even he has been a bit lackluster recently.

Alzarri Joseph has been the pick of the bowlers for Windies. He has done extremely well given his age and experience. Joseph has been lauded by a lot of legends and is here to stay for a long time. Just 20 years by age, Joseph has still a lot to learn. He was certainly out of form in the second ODI and will look to bounce back in the third game.

Miguel Cummins is a rapid bowler. He is someone who clocks past 140 with ease and has done extremely well in the domestic circuit. Cummins was taken apart by the Indian batters in the second ODI but then everyone else did. He will look to use his pace to get some wickets in the third ODI and a lot depends on how Holder uses him as well.

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