The Indian cricket team’s white-ball tour to the Caribbean will begin with a three-match ODI series starting on July 22 where the Men in Blue will be without their top stars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Rishabh Pant who have been rested after their successful outing in the UK.
In the absence of their full-time captain Rohit Sharma, selectors have appointed veteran batsman Shikhar Dhawan of India for the ODIs. Team India will be high on confidence as they defeated a mighty English side in their own backyard in an ODI series after eight years.
This series will serve as a huge opportunity for young Indian players like Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Hooda, Shubhman Gill and Sanju Samson to cement their place in the side in the absence of first-choice players.
On the other hand, West Indies have a golden chance to finally win an ODI series against India after more than 16 years. West Indies’ last ODI series victory against the Indians came way back in 2006.
Nicolas Pooran-led West Indies have recalled Jason Holder from their squad who has an exceptional record against India in all three formats. The Caribbean nation is heading into the series after a poor display against Bangladesh where they were whitewashed by the Asian side in a three-match ODI series last week.
For West Indies, responsibilities will lie on the shoulders of right-handed batter Shai Hope who has scored 733 runs in 20 games at an average of 45 against India in ODIs. Unsurprisingly, he is booked to be West Indies’ best batter in the 1st ODI with the odds of 4.00 with the bookmaker bet365. SSJ Brooks, KR Mayers, and skipper Nicolas Pooran are not far behind priced at odds of 5.50.
West Indies Top Batter Odds
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 21, 10:00 A.M. (GMT)
For India, stand-in skipper Shikhar Dhawan leads the chart and is expected to play a captain’s knock in the ODIs with the favourable odds of 3.60. Shubhman Gill (4.33), Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad (4.75 each) closely follow their skipper.
India’s Top Batter Odds
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 21, 10:00 A.M. (GMT)
Despite not having their first-choice players, India starts as favourites in the series that is a testament to their bench strength. Bookmaker bet365 has booked India as favourites to win the 1st ODI and is priced at 1.33 at this hour. West Indies start as underdogs and are priced at 3.40.
India vs. West Indies 1st ODI Winner Odds
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 21, 10:00 A.M. (GMT)
All three ODIs will be played at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. The first ODI will begin at 1:30 p.m. (GMT) on Friday. The second and third ODI will be played on 24th and 27th of July respectively.
Overall, we can expect a cracker series between two of the most entertaining sides in the cricketing world. Will West Indies be able to put an end to their losing streak or can India continue their dominance over the Caribbean side despite missing some key players? We’ll find out soon.
