India and West Indies Lock Horns in the Deciding ODI India to Take on West Indies in Cuttack Today

India to Take on West Indies in Cuttack Today

India and West Indies are gearing up for the do or die clash in the ODI series decider at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack today. Kohli and his troops are looking to finish 2019 on a high note with an ODI series triumph over the Caribbean. The three-match ODI series is well poised and both the teams would like to fight with every ounce of energy they have left to snatch the series. The three-match ODI series is currently level 1-1. Rest a good refreshment Team India made a gruelling effort in the second ODI at Visakhapatnam outclassed the visitors in all the departments of the game and levelled the series. Both the teams got three days rest to regroup themselves before the series decider. Remember India has already bagged the T20I series 2-1 in its kitty. Therefore the hosts are set to repeat the same sort of performance in the deciding ODI to continue their super run. Team India enjoys off day The much-needed break with no practice scheduled on Friday had provided an opportunity to the men in blue to refresh themselves. Kohli and boys took advantage of leisure time and enjoyed the “day off”. Indian skipper Virat Kohli posted several photographs on social media, where he was seen enjoying with his teammates. Positive mood in Indian camp Kieran Pollard has been marshalling his troops effectively in this tour. Men in maroon crushed the hosts by eight-wicket in Chennai in the opening fixture, which was an alarming bell for the hosts. But team India forgot the setback and hissed back in the second ODI like an injured snake and spewed venom all over the ground in Vizag. The visitors had no ammunition to fight and let their arms down and the hosts levelled the series. Rohit and Rahul need to blaze Team management is looking another solid show with the bat from the formidable opening pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in the deciding match. Both the batsmen hit centuries in a flash then fiery burst from Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer in the death overs turned the match in India's favour. Bowlers kept the visitors on their toes most of the time, the left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav took his second hat-trick in ODI and bowled out the visitors for 280 runs. Finding rhythm on time by the bowlers would be handy for the men in blue in the third match. Saini replaces Chahar It is undeniable that India has suffered a minor set back before the third and deciding one day match with the injury of Deepak Chahar. The fast bowler has been ruled out of the last match against West Indies. Delhi pacer Navdeep Saini has been included in the team as his replacement. Injury of players never create any vacuum or worry in the team due to strong bench strength, which is a sign of a formidable side. Fielding a worry Despite a sweet victory in the second one day match, Kohli is not happy with the fielding of the team saying, the team should maintain a high-level standard in all the departments of the game to maintain consistency. Domination of batsmen In the first two matches of the series both the teams produced a wonderful exhibition of batting. However, West Indies is undoubtedly down the barrel after the loss in the second match but ready to bounce back in the deciding match to wrest the series from India. The Carribean has several surprise packages who can stun any team on their day and reverse the position. They had proved in the first ODI in Chennai, surpassing 280 runs with ease. India almost unbeatable at home Beating India on its backyard is not a cup of tea for any visiting side. The Carribean have to punch above their weight for overpowering the star-studded men in blue in the decider of the series. Indian bowling struggled a bit in the first match but showed a big improvement in the next match and dismissed the visitors for 280 on the placid Vizag pitch. India at least on paper is looking to seal the series but uncertainty always looms in cricket. The uncertain nature of cricket makes this game different from others. Go back the history and remember the 1983 Prudential World Cup final between the two teams, when India short-circuited the hope of the mighty West Indies and created a new history in world cricket. Related Link: T20I Series: India Registers an Emphatic Victory Against Caribbean in Series Knock Out

The final match of the one day series between India and West Indies will be played today in Cuttack, Odisha.