West Indies vs India, 2nd ODI, Port of Spain: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

The washout in the first ODI makes a win in the second match, at Port of Spain, all the more important. The winner on Saturday will go 1-0 up in the three-match series, putting them in an undefeatable position heading into the final match.

India had looked all set to carry their T20I momentum – they won 3-0 – into the ODIs, but rain in Providence ensured only 13 overs were possible in the match. In that time, however, Kuldeep Yadav did prevent Chris Gayle from becoming the highest run-scorer for West Indies in ODIs – he dismissed him for 4, when he needed 11 to get to the mark. Gayle will go again on Saturday, in hope of finally making that record his own.

India, however, will be primed to stop him again. They had opted for a significantly powerful side in the first ODI, with Shreyas Iyer finally getting a game, and possibly would have slotted in at No.4. The pace line-up had variety, with Khaleel Ahmed, the left-armer, joining Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami, and it would have been intriguing to see how they would have stopped Evin Lewis, who was on a 36-ball 40* when play was called off.

The second ODI should be interesting.

Head to head

The rivalry, dating back to 1979, is neck-and-neck at the moment. West Indies have won 62 of their 128 matches, with India coming out on top 60 times. However, the dynamic has changed dramatically over the last ten years, with India winning 23 of their 34 matches. In their last five ODIs, in fact, West Indies have won just once.

Key players

Chris Gayle (West Indies): All eyes will be Gayle again. He has been chasing Lara’s record for a while now, and even postponed his ODI retirement – initially supposed to be after the World Cup – with this, possibly, in mind. However, his failure to get those 11 runs in the first ODI puts the pressure on him. He needs seven more, and another early dismissal might make it all too uncomfortable for the legend.

Shreyas Iyer (India): Iyer has been a fine batsman in domestic cricket over the last few years, but hasn’t quite got the chances at the international level. He has made public his displeasure about that, and when he finally got his chance in the first ODI, the elements intervened. He’ll hope to have a proper go at No.4 and solve India’s longstanding problem. It can revive his international career, and the question now is whether he can do what’s needed.

Likely XIs

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Roston Chase, Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Kemar Roach, Sheldon Cottrell

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Khaleel Ahmed

Prediction

India to win, rain permitting.