Thiruvananthapuram ODI: Windies to Bat as Hosts India Eye Series Win

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], Nov 1 (ANI): Looking to clinch the series, India will field as West Indies chose to bat after winning the toss in the final match of the ongoing five-match One Day International (ODI) series at Greenfield Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram.

Considering dew as a crucial factor, Indian skipper Virat Kohli, seemed upbeat about bowling first.

"I saw the conditions last evening and there was a lot of dew. It has been overcast for a few days, so there will be help for the pacers and the spinners. I think we are in good hands bowling first and the team is also the same," he said.

Talking about the changes in the team, West Indies captain Jason Holder, on the other hand, said, "Ashley Nurse has been replaced by Devendra Bishoo. Nurse has been ousted out of the entire tour now. Oshane Thomas will play in the stead of Hemraj. We have to be consistent to beat the best teams. We have shown glimpses but we need to do it more often"

India has 2-1 lead in the five match series. Despite opening a run fest, wicket keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been often criticised for having a lean patch with the bat.

India had silenced critics in the penultimate match with a massive 224-run victory over the Windies.

In the previous match, Rohit Sharma built a solid foundation with Ambati Rayudu. Rohit also surpassed legend Sachin Tendulkar's record of 150+ innings as he scored his seventh 150+ in the limited overs format.

The number four batsman Rayudu sorted the disrupted middle-order muddle with his century cameo in the fourth ODI. After unexpected dismissal of Kohli, Rayudu smashed 8 fours and 4 sixes in the process of completing his third ODI hundred off just 81 balls.

Kohli missed out of hitting a fourth ton and equalling former Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara. Kohli will surely be raring to make a comeback and will be among runs in the final match.

On the bowling front, Kuldeep Yadav with a total eight scalps in three matches has become the pick of the bowlers. The inclusion of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has added to the pace firepower.

Khaleel Ahmed, who has been consistent with the swing, had picked three wickets in five overs.

West Indies, on the flipside are packed with valiant performances by wicketkeeper Shai Hope and Shemron Hetmyer which resulted in a nerve-wracking draw in the second ODI and victory in the third ODI. On the bowling front, Marlon Samuels, who ended the third game with figures of (3 for 12), will be expected to pick a few wickets in the middle overs.

Kemar Roach also claimed a couple of wickets but has gone for a lot of runs. He will be eager to rectify his mistake in the final showdown. In the ongoing five-match ODI series, India is leading 2-1, with the second game ending in a tie.

At the time of filing this report, West Indies are 18 for 2 in 8 overs.

Following is the playing XI squad for both the sides:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (C), Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah

West Indies: Kieran Powell, Shai Hope (wk), Marlon Samuels, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder (C), Keemo Paul, Devendra Bishoo, Oshane Thomas, Kemar Roach. (ANI)

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