WI vs IND: 3 Changes India might make for the 3rd ODI

Having sealed the three-match series 2-0 already, India are likely to test their bench strength and give opportunities to other players who deserve chances for the upcoming third ODI against West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. India found a way out of trouble in both the games as West Indies gave the visitors a real scare and two different heroes arrived on the stage.

Axar Patel had a fantastic outing in the previous game and he showed his brutal power-hitting skills down the order with an unbeaten 35-ball 64 in crunch time when the team needed him the most. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan has rotated his bowlers wisely and has got the most out of his sixth bowling option in Deepak Hooda in both the games.

With the bat, except Suryakumar Yadav, the other batters in the top six have got runs, and Shreyas Iyer in particular has looked quite comfortable. Shubman Gill and Sanju Samson, finally have got runs to prove their talent in international cricket and will be hoping to end the series on a good note.

Meanwhile, here are 3 changes India might make for the 3rd ODI against West Indies.

1. Ruturaj Gaikwad – IN; Shubman Gill – OUT

Shubman Gill has looked solid in both the games so far and is certainly making a statement for the future. The right-hander has scores of 64 and 43 in the two ODIs and has looked quite positive from the upfront. He has got all the shots in the book and has taken advantage of the powerplay with Dhawan taking his time from the other end.

Gill is likely to get continuous chances at the top of the order going forward and is expected to be the third opener for the next ODI series. Hence, Ruturaj Gaikwad might get a look in for the third ODI, considering that Gill has done enough to hold on to his place in the squad.

Gaikwad is yet to make his ODI debut and he hasn’t had the best of starts yet in his international career. However, this will be the best chance to make a case for himself under the watchful eyes of Rahul Dravid and he will get the nod ahead of Ishan Kishan at the top of the order with the need for a right-hand left-hand combination.

2. Ishan Kishan- IN; Sanju Samson – OUT

This will be a like-for-like replacement as Ishan Kishan can replace Sanju Samson for the wicketkeeper role after the latter’s important half-century in the previous game. Samson has been in excellent touch in recent times and he played a key role in India winning the first ODI when he stopped a wide delivery from going for a boundary with a full dive.

Samson got his first half-century in ODIs in the second game against West Indies and his ability to cut loose from ball one makes him a dangerous campaigner. He has shown signs of being a backup wicketkeeper for Rishabh Pant in ODIs and hence, he might be rested for the third ODI to give a chance to Kishan.

Kishan meanwhile, has been played at the top of the order mostly but is expected to slot in at number three or number four according to the situation of the game. The 24-year-old has got the ability to pack a punch and is a handy wicketkeeper. He will be looking to make the most if he gets a chance with the bat.

3. Arshdeep Singh – IN; Mohammed Siraj – OUT

Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh is yet to make an appearance in the ODI format for India and he does deserve a chance in the playing XI. Arshdeep’s death-over skills were quite phenomenal in this IPL and he did bowl well in the one T20I he played against England in the three-match series.

India handed a chance to Avesh Khan in the previous game in place of Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep could come in for Mohammad Siraj who has been fantastic in the series. Siraj’s last-over heroics won the game for India in the first ODI and he has turned out to be an excellent find in both the Test and ODI formats.

However, trying out a left-arm seamer would be much wiser with the T20 World Cup 2022 coming up and Arshdeep can bring a different entity into the squad with the angles.