After a high-scoring match in the series-opener in Guwahati, cricket fans should brace for yet another run-fest when India and Windies come up against each other in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam. The surface at the ACA-VDCA Stadium has generally produced plenty of runs, and one should expect nothing different this time around too.
India are sitting pretty with a 1-0 lead in the five-match series and must be riding high after their emphatic win in Guwahati. Though the bowling attack came in for plenty of stick and conceded 322 runs, the batting line-up – powered by opener Rohit Sharma and captain Virat Kohli – turned the chase into a breeze; Team India got over the line at the start of the 43rd over, winning quite comfortably by 8 wickets.
What to Expect – Team India
The ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam has been a lucky hunting ground for Team India, and the players must therefore be looking forward to stepping on to the field; India has emerged victors in 6 of the 7 ODIs they’ve played at the venue.
Several of the players in the squad have impressive records when playing at the venue too; captain Virat Kohli has scored two centuries and two half-centuries in the four ODIs he has played at the venue, while MS Dhoni averages 80.00 from four knocks at the venue. Opener Rohit Sharma has scored two half-centuries in four ODI innings at the venue.
One suspects India will not tinker too much with the team that took the field in Guwahati. On the batting front, barring Ambati Rayudu who remained unbeaten on 22, none of the middle-order batsmen got a hit in the first ODI, and therefore one suspects the Indian team management will field the same batting line-up. The bowlers had a day off and it might be a little harsh to leave anyone out on the basis of that one performance. The team management might be forced to change the bowling combination only if the conditions are drastically lop-sided in favour of either spinners or the quicks.
Likely XI
Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami.
What to Expect – Team Windies
The Windies might make the one or two changes to the team that took the field in the first ODI in Guwahati. The batting line-up will most likely remain the same, while the bowling could undergo a change – depending on the conditions; Alzarri Joseph (if declared fit ) should walk into the XI and replace Oshane Thomas who had a forgettable debut in Guwahati, while one of the all-rounders – Keemo Paul or Fabian Allen – could be brought in at the expense of one of the two spinners who played in the previous match.
Likely XI
Kieran Powell, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shai Hope, Marlon Samuels, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Fabian Allen / Keemo Paul, Ashley Nurse, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas / Alzarri Joseph.
Approaching Milestones
Virat Kohli
- needs one more hundred to set the record for most ODI hundreds against the Windies; he currently has 5 hundreds – which is the joint-most against the Windies along with Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers & Hashim Amla.
- needs 30 runs to complete 4,000 runs in ODIs at home; his aggregate stands at 3,970 runs from 80 ODIs played in India.
- needs 47 runs to surpass Sachin Tendulkar's aggregate (1,573) and become India's highest run-getter in ODIs against the Windies.
- needs 81 runs to get to 10,000 runs in ODIs
MS Dhoni
- needs 51 runs to get to 10,000 ODI runs while playing for India. Dhoni currently has 10,123 runs, including those scored while playing for Asia XI.
Ravindra Jadeja
- needs 38 runs to get to the 2,000-ODI runs milestone.
Kieran Powell
- needs 48 runs to get to the 1,000 ODI runs milestone.
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