1st Test: India vs West Indies
The Windies have arrived in India. Their task is, quite simply, to take on the best team in the world in their own back garden.
In a two-match series, the first of the Test Cricket India vs West Indies at Rajkot will tell us, and them, whether Jason Holder’s team can put up a fight—though the ICC rankings and the India vs West Indies odds suggest they have a mountain to climb.
Despite losing convincingly in England, Virat Kohli’s India still top the world rankings while West Indies languish in eighth, ahead of just Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
India dusted themselves off after losing in England to win the Asia Cup for the seventh time, and they look in decent shape at the start of a series of two tests, five ODIs and three T20s. And despite their limitations, the one thing the Windies will try to guarantee…is a battle.
Talking Points
Are the Indians really the very best?
A 4-1 drubbing at the hands of England in the summer may have left India with a point to prove, though that scoreline flattered the hosts as the series was keenly contested throughout. But Captain Marvel Kohli carried too much weight on his own shoulders at times. The tour set off on the wrong foot at Edgbaston when the skipper scored almost as many runs as the rest of his team put together.
But as the series wore on, India gave as good as they got and showed they are no longer simply a group of artful batsmen, wizardry spinners and gentle fielders. Pace bowling, explosive batting and spectacular fielding is now the order of the day.
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami was recalled following injury, and he bowled with speed and accuracy throughout. Alongside Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, he tested the England batting line-up and beat the bat countless times.
Batsman Cheteshwar Pujara scored a determined century in the fourth test in England, and he needs just 191 more runs to reach 5000. If he does that against the Windies, he’ll become only the 12th Indian in history to reach that milestone.
In Ravi Jadeja, India have an attacking left-arm bowler, exciting middle-order batsman and arguably the best fielder in the world. Pujara and Jadeja are on their home ground, where they have both hit triple hundreds.
And don’t forget the captain. Kohli is an icon of the modern game, and his phenomenal range of strokes make him the best player to watch in world cricket.
Yes. Don’t be deceived by the loss in England. This side is as good as ever.
Which Windies players can stand up to India?
Skipper Jason Holder is the West Indies’ talisman, having been appointed captain in 2014 at the young age of 23, and he has a couple of milestones to urge him on to a big performance in India. As a handy pace bowler, he is just two wickets short of 200; and he needs to score just 17 runs to reach 1500 in test cricket, showing what a good all-rounder he can be.
But the man Kohli and his team will be most wary of is fast-bowler Shannon Gabriel.
In a recent match with Sri Lanka, he became only the third West Indian bowler to take 13 wickets in a match in a devastating display of quick bowling. He’s only bettered by the two greats Michael Holding and Courtney Walsh; and the 30-year-old was the top wicket-taker, at an average of 14.95, in the three-match series. Bowling at 145kph, he’ll certainly give the Indian batters a hurry-up.
With some dusty pitches to work on, the spin threat could well come from Devendra Bishoo. The Guyanese cricketer, alongside Gabriel, is one of only eight West Indian bowlers to take eight wickets in an innings—which he did against Pakistan in Dubai in 2017. He can certainly bowl in these conditions.
History
The Windies arrive in India on the back of a morale-boosting series draw with a dangerous Sri Lanka team, and they will give their all here.
Previous India vs West Indies results remind us just how good the Windies teams of the 1970s and 80s were. With a seemingly endless supply of world-class and genuinely terrifying fast bowlers, including Holding, Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, they sent wickets—and a few batsmen—flying all around the world.
Of the 94 test matches these two teams have played, West Indies have won 30 to India’s 18. And in India, the Windies have the edge too, winning 14 to the hosts 11.
What are the odds?
We love our cricket here at SBOBET, and this two-match series promises to entertain with quality fast bowling and the best batter in the world on show.
If the Windies can get a result, it will be one of the sporting feats of 2018. India are at 1.12 to win, with the draw at 6.00 and the West Indies are at 12.00.
With rain interruptions unlikely, any kind of shock result will pay you 6.55, with the West Indies at 6.55 Draw No Bet.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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