India vs West Indies: 5th ODI Preview

The West Indies finally got their act together in the last ODI in Antigua to reduce the deficit to 3-1. Now, the finale of this series will be played out at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica with the hosts looking to continue their winning run while the visitors will continue their experimentation.

Also Read: YuppTV To Stream India-West Indies Cricket Series Online

For the West Indies, opener Lendl Simmons has been impressive while his partner has struggled. Young Kirk Edwards has been dropped for the final game with opener Adrian Barath making a return to the squad after injury. The form of Kieron Pollard in the middle order bodes well for the home side as they look to improve their performance in every game. The big news coming out of the Caribbean is that Chris Gayle may not be picked for the Test series as his disagreements with the board have not yet been sorted out. On the field though, Ravi Rampaul has also been brought in and he will most likely take the place of Kemar Roach who was hit by an Ishant Sharma lifter the other day. Darren Bravo, Sarwan and Samuels should all retain their places in the middle order.

The Indians on the other hand, will be disappointed with their performance in the last game, none more than captain Suresh Raina who has not had a significant score yet in the series. Shikhar Dhawan should feature in this game at the expense of Virat Kohli while Wriddhiman Saha could get a look in for Parthiv Patel. Vinay Kumar may also get a game in place of Praveen Kumar, while the rest of the side that played the fourth ODI should remain the same. Time is running out for most members in this current team, especially for Badrinath and Yusuf Pathan, both of whom have had minimal impact in the series. For Badrinath, this ODI could be a nice way to warm up for the Test series, while Yusuf Pathan could be dropped for the England tour regardless of his performance in the final game.

So, as it happened in the series against Pakistan, West Indies stood up to be counted a little too late in the series. But victory in the last game would make the scoreline a respectable 2-3 and in a few years time, the record books will only show the result and not the manner in which the games were contested. That sad India has a chance to avenge their 1-4 loss, five years ago and would do well to carry some momentum into the Tests.

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