After successfully chasing the challenging total of 323-run target with too comfortably (India won by 8 wickets with 47 balls to spare) in the first ODI at Guwahati and taking the 1-0 lead of the five-match ODI series, the hosts India are now ready to take on the visitors Windies for the second ODI of the series that will be played on Wednesday (October 24) at Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium (Visakhapatnam).

Initially, the match was scheduled to be played at Holkar Stadium (Indore). But due to the new BCCI’s rules on the complimentary-ticket allocations, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MCPA) stepped down from organising this ODI and later, it has been shifted at Visakhapatnam.

Indian cricket team

Since their return from the England tour, the Indian Cricket team has remained unbeaten in the international cricket. Currently, the top-order batting is in the dangerous form that is consisting by Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and the skipper Virat Kohli.

Also read: India Announced The 12-member Squad For Visakhapatnam ODI

Most of the regular bowlers are in good touches with consistent growth. At present, any Indian bowler can shift the game for the national side in any situation. The fielding portion is also at a good level but some players still need to make more improvement in their fielding skills.

The middle-order batting is one of the important parts of the present Indian cricket team where it needs to make more improvement. Due to the middle-order batsmen are not getting enough regular chances in the recent ODI matches, the proper evaluation process is being hampered.

Windies cricket team

In the Guwahati ODI, most of the Windies batters’ performed very well. The middle-order and the lower middle-order batsmen have impressed with their fighting batting performances, but the young Shimron Hetmyer grabbed the top limelight by scoring a brilliant fast century as he scored 106 off 78 balls with 6 fours and 6 sixes.

Also read: Windies tour of India 2018/19: First ODI – Stats Review

However, the top-order batting is still under question as it has failed in most of the times in this tour. Apart from Kieron Powell, who has played two half-century knocks in this tour (one in Test and one in ODI), none of other top four Windies batsmen has played the 50+ knocks in an innings of this tour.

In the first ODI of the series, the Windies’ bowling totally failed in the front of two top-ranked ODI batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Surely, the bowlers need to improve hugely to stop India’s recent unbeaten runs in international cricket.

Full squads

India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (wk), Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed, KL Rahul, Umesh Yadav.

Windies: Jason Holder (captain), Fabian Allen, Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Kieran Powell, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Oshane Thomas.

Key Stats Preview:

• India has played seven ODIs at Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium (Visakhapatnam). They have won six times and lost only once. The only defeat for India has come against Windies on 24 November 2013, where the visitors won by 2 wickets (with 3 balls remaining).
• Windies has played two ODIs at Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, where they have won once and lost once.