Men in Blue look for ODI redemption post World Cup heartbreak

It's been almost a month since India crashed out of the World Cup 2019 but the horrors of defeat continue to haunt the fans. Touted as the favourites to reach the final of this year's mega-event, the men in blue fell agonisingly short of the mark in the semi-final against a spirited Kiwi unit. The dreams, of regaining the glory, were shattered and a billion heartbroken supporters were left stranded in despair as Virat Kohli and co were handed a tough pill to swallow at Old Trafford on 9 July.

However, as the saying goes, the time has moved only in one direction and Team India now find themselves in the Caribbean to cross swords with West Indies.

After crushing the hosts in the just-concluded three-match T20I series, the Asian giants will be seeking redemption in the ODI format post the World Cup bitterness.

While the series, beginning on 8 August, might evoke a lukewarm response among the fans, given the poor form of the Windies, it may well serve as a golden opportunity to redress a vexing issue that has been plaguing the Indian side.

The Indian middle-order has come under heavy criticism of late, especially after the team's World Cup exit. The batters at positions 4,5 and 6 have failed miserably in coming to the team's rescue in the recent past and have led to detrimental batting collapses.

Come the series against the Windies and the spotlight will once again be on India's middle-order solidity. With the likes of Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni not in the mix for the ongoing tour, the team management will be keen on testing the mettle of young guns in the middle order. Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey have long been counted as the right choices for assuming the middle-order responsibilities and will be raring to cement their spot if presented with an opportunity. Also, with star opener Shikhar Dhawan back in the reckoning, KL Rahul too is likely to wield his bat down the order.

The core of the team though is expected to remain the same. While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to stand as the biggest threats for the Windies with the bat, the pace battery is likely to be powered by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami. With Ravindra Jadeja set to assume the all-rounder's duties, the spinner's spot could well be a toss-up between Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

The hosts, on the other hand, appear to be low on confidence and depleted to compete with a fierce Indian unit. The team will be looking to brush aside their World Cup debacle and put forth a fiery display to challenge the odds in the first ODI.

Where: Providence Stadium, Guyana

When: 7 pm IST, 8 August (Thursday)

What to expect: India to topple the Windies and go one up in the three-match series

Probable XI for Team India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (C), KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini