Batting full 50 overs high on West Indies agenda in India ODIs

By Brandon Corlette

Fresh from a memorable T20I series’ win against England in Barbados, the Kieron Pollard-led West Indies team will be aiming to bat their full quota of 50 overs in the first of three One Day Internationals (ODIs) starting today, Sunday February 6, from 4am Eastern Caribbean time.
Speaking to the media in a virtual press conference on Saturday afternoon, Pollard said the West Indies have not batted their full quota of 50 overs in recent ODI series against Ireland and Australia. He also spoke about the lessens he took away from the recent series as a leader, and how the players are focused on the series, in contrast to Indian Premier League (IPL) contracts.

“The things that we need to take forward is how we bat 50 overs. We have not batted 50 overs the series against Ireland and Australia, so that is something that we need to look at. As a team, we need to follow the template and plans that are put out there for us to be successful,” Pollard said.
India are also fresh off a series’ defeat to South Africa, and the team had been hit by COVID-19, but the Rohit Sharma-led unit remains a strong outfit. Pollard said the Indian team is still a formidable unit, and this is an opportunity for West Indies to improve.

“For us, it is another opportunity to improve our skills, test where we are at in international cricket, coming up against a formidable Indian team in their conditions. If my memory serves me right, I think the last time we were down here, we did pretty okay. We did not win the series, but we pushed them; so now we looking to push that one step forward,” Pollard explained.
“Having said that, we need to put our heads together and try to improve in every area of our game, as we fell short to Ireland in the last couple months,” the skipper noted.

Additionally, Pollard said the England series’ win was a matter for him to continue backing his skills and ability in terms of leading. “Sometimes you have to take people by the horn, put guys in situations where they can actually thrive,” Pollard said.
The big Trinidadian said the team is focused on achieving goals as a team, and not focusing on who starts the series as favourite. For some of the young players, the IPL auction is around the corner, and this series, most players would want to perform and throw their names in the hat for an IPL contract. However, Pollard assured that the players are focused on the series, and not IPL contracts.
West Indies ODI squad looks decent, and with Test players Nkrumah Bonner and Kemar Roach in the mix, the team is looking to concentrate more for longer periods of time.

The three-match ODI series will be played in Ahmedabad, and all matches would start at 4:00am Eastern Caribbean time.
India squad for first ODI: Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, M Shahrukh Khan
West Indies ODI Squad: Kieron Pollard (capt), Nicholas Pooran (vice-capt), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh Jr.