West Indies aiming to make amends post World Cup campaign

─ Gayle 12 runs away from milestone

By Brandon Corlette

After a horrific International Cricket Council World Cup, West Indies will resume their One Day International (ODI) campaign today August 8, at the National Stadium Providence against India in the My Team 11 ODI series. Speaking to the local media on the eve of the match, West Indies captain, Jason Holder and his team will be looking to move forward after that World Cup.

“I felt the bowling was good in the World Cup, people like Sheldon Cottrell had bright sparks and the other bowlers chipped in, I think consistency plagued us in the World Cup”, Holder disclosed. West Indies opponent, the World-class Indian outfit, has defeated West Indies 3-1 in their last two ODI bilateral series, both home and away.
With West Indies leveling the ODI series against England, in their most previous home series, this will be a big plus for Holder and his team. However, when asked about his confidence against India, Holder was filled with uncertainty.
“We had a couple weeks to sit back and really think about what happened in the World Cup but the players are fresh and have come with different ideas and concepts for way of improvement”, Holder explained. The captain called upon the players to play their respective roles and skillfully execute their plans.

One of the biggest names in World Cricket, Chris Gayle will take center stage at the National Stadium Providence and he requires 12 runs to surpassed Brian Lara as the leading run-scorer in ODI cricket. Gayle, who played nine ODIs at Providence since 2007 to present, requires another 66 runs to become the highest run-scorer at this venue.
Holder during his chat with the media at Providence, explained that this is a special occasion for Gayle and he has done great things in cricket. It is always good to have him in the squad and he obviously brings a lot to the team”, Holder explained.
Sharing his sentiments on conditions at Providence, Holder added that the pitch will remain on the slower side but a good one for cricket and it will be similar to that in the final T20 earlier this week. West Indies last played against Bangladesh in July 2018 and they scored 271. The highest score at this venue in ODIs is 309-6 in 49 overs, West Indies achieved this feat in 2017 against Pakistan.
West Indies played 15 ODI matches at Providence and has registered seven wins, however, India will be making their first appearance in the ODI format against West Indies and the match promises to be a belta.
Captain Holder will be aiming to break into India’s top order having been performing well with the new-ball. Guyanese Keemo Paul who was hit on his ankle in the final T20 against India, has been monitored and he will be a positive signal for today’s ODI given if he is selected. It has been 30 years since India has played an ODI in Guyana.
West Indies (probable XI): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis/John Campbell, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Keemo Paul, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Oshane Thomas, 11 Sheldon Cottrell