Overconfidence is not a good thing in sport!
Team India learnt it the hard way when they suffered a six-wicket thrashing in the second ODI in Barbados on Saturday.
The move to rest Captain Rohit Sharma and senior batter Virat Kohli following their easy five-wicket win in the first game backfired big time as West Indies bounced back in quite style.
The absence of Rohit and Kohli proved quite crucial as India folded for a paltry 181 in 40.5 overs on a difficult wicket for the batters while the West Indies chased down the runs in 36.4 overs losing just four wickets.
With just over two months to go for the World Cup, India's batting looks woefully short of options. Similarly to the last World Cup, India are once again struggling with their middle order in the absence of regulars like Shreyas Iyer, K L Rahul and Rishabh Pant -- all of whom are out with long-term injuries.
Suryakumar Yadav has set T20 cricket on fire but has struggled to carry on the same form in 50-overs cricket, having gone 17 innings without a half-century, while the team hasn't shown much confidence in Sanju Samson by not giving him a long rope with the bat.
SKY's record in one-day cricket is not encouraging either, with 476 runs from 25 matches at an average of 23, with two fifties.
Hardik Pandya hasn't provided the spark in the lower order, with 78 runs from his last five ODI innings, including three single digit scores.
Similarly, opener Shubman Gill's form is a concern too, with no half-century in his last five innings, for a total of 98 runs at a strike rate of 66.
With their batting not looking in great shape, it is a desperate situation for India face the prospect of the first ODI series defeat against the West Indies in 17 years.
A series defeat against a team, which hasn't even qualified for the World Cup, could be a bitter pill to swallow for the Indians, who are considered as one of the favourites for the 2023 World Cup.
Also, questions must be asked of the team management as to why the experienced Yuzvendra Chahal continues to be benched in ODIs. He formed a lethal partnership with Kuldeep Yadav whenever they played together in the past, but the coach and captain don't seem to fancy the leg-spinner much in 50 overs cricket.
Will India be brave enough to rest either Rohit or Kohli for the series decider or bring them back into the playing XI?
Will they leave out the struggling Suryakumar or will Samson again find himself out after playing just one game?
Among the bowlers, India are likely to retain the pace trio of Mukesh Kumar, Umran Malik and Shardul Thakur, while Chahal could come in for Axar Patel, who bowled just two overs in the second ODI.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for Tuesday's third and final ODI against the West Indies?
Please select your team from the list below and do post your playing XI in the message board below:
