Mumbai: India will look to find the perfect balance in their playing eleven when they take on a resurgent West Indies in the fourth ODI here, Monday.
Going with five specialist bowlers in Pune Saturday did not work for India, who ended up as the losing side for the first time in the home series against the West Indies.
With the series surprisingly tied at 1-1 and two matches to go, Virati Kohli’s team find themselves in a must-win situation. Credit must be given to the West Indies, who have not only moved on from a dismal Test series but have given the formidable hosts a run for their money in the 50-over format.
As Kohli pointed out after the 43-run loss in the third ODI, the return of Kedar Jadhav from injury will give the team a much needed depth in both the batting and bowling department.
An unstable middle order and lack of runs from MS Dhoni’s bat are another issues facing India, not just for Monday’s fixture but also in the long run with 15 games remaining before the World Cup in England next year. Having lost his place in the T20 team, Dhoni is in desperate need of runs in the limited opportunities that are left ahead of the 50-over showpiece event.
Rishabh Pant, who batted at five ahead of Dhoni in the previous game, has been his usual aggressive self but a significant score in his debut ODI series is still awaited. Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, who have had twin failures, are due for a big partnership.
Amid all the uncertainty, Jadhav’s return after recovering from a hamstring injury in the middle order is more than welcome. Besides his powerful hitting, his off-spin could also come handy.
The biggest positive for the hosts has been the form of skipper Kohli, who struck his third hundred in a row, becoming the first Indian to do so.
On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah made a stunning comeback, clinching four wickets last night. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, however, conceded runs in the death overs but trust him to bounce back. The role of both the spinners – Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav – will be crucial in restricting the opposition batsmen.
MSD slugs it out in the nets
Mumbai: Under pressure to deliver, a determined MS Dhoni Sunday slogged it out at the Cricket Club of India Sunday ahead of the fourth ODI here, Monday. Despite it being an optional session, the veteran batsman batted in the nets for over 45 minutes, facing local bowlers. Dhoni, who has of late, struggled to get big scores in ODIs, was also seen having a brief chat with the team’s assistant coach Sanjay Bangar.