West Indies win toss, opt to field against India in second ODI; Kohli, Rohit rested
Jul 29, 2023
Bridgetown [Barbados], July 29 : West Indies skipper Shai Hope won the toss and opted to field against India in the second ODI at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.
India managed to clinch the first margin after facing a few challenges. Ishan Kishan performed exceptionally well with the bat to help India chase down a total of 114. The visitors would be keen to clinch the series with a second consecutive win.
Hardik Pandya is leading India in the absence of Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli is also missing the second ODI. Axar Patel and Sanju Samson have been named as their replacements.
WI Skipper Shai Hope said during the time of toss, "We are going to bowl first, we saw what happened in the last game. The conditions will assist the bowlers. We got two games to play, so we got to win this one to stay alive. It has been a bit unpredictable. Both teams have to play on the same surface. We got to bowl first and put them under pressure. Powell, Drakes is out, Alzarri and Keacy are in."
India stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya said during the time of toss, "We were looking to bat first. We want to see how much we can score on this pitch which is a bit up and down. Rohit and Virat have been playing constant cricket, so they are resting in this game. They can be fresh for the third ODI. I think when you get someone out for 115, it's a good sign. Our catching was impressive, but we can improve in certain areas. Sanju and Axar come in for Rohit and Virat."
West Indies (Playing XI): Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Keacy Carty, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales
India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan(w), Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya(c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.