We called it an early night on July 27, as less than 50 overs were bowled in total during the lop-sided WI v IND ODI opener at Kensington Oval, Barbados. 

Having won the toss, Team India decided to field, and soon in the powerplay, celebrated the fall of three wickets (Pandya, Shardul and debutant Mukesh Kumar claimed a wicket each). However, despite dismissing the entire side in 23 overs, the chase didn’t look as comfortable as the Indian fans would have wanted it to. 

Viewers witnessed a batting collapse and an experimental batting line-up (Skipper Sharma came out to bat only after the 5th wicket fell) before the Men in Blue reached their target in less than 23 overs. 

The highlight from the otherwise underwhelming encounter was the Indian spin duo Kuldeep Yadav-Ravindra Jadeja’s spells, taking wickets in tandem, amassing seven between them. While there may not be a lot to write back home for the West Indies, Shai Hope’s 43 (45) was a promising pièce de résistance of the batting line-up. 

The 2nd ODI will take place at the same venue tomorrow (July 29), and if things go India’s way, it will be their 10th consecutive win against West Indies in ODIs. 

Going into the second ODI, both teams as well as their fans will look forward to a more exciting and even contest, at least one that gives us all the 100 overs in the day. 

With pitch and weather conditions continuing to be the same, Team India will look to seal the series tomorrow, and hope for a better showcase of batting, while West Indies will be striving to script a comeback. 

Date: 29th July, 2023

Venue: Kensington Oval, Barbados