India vs West Indies 1st ODI: Odds, Predictions and, Analysis

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India will take on West Indies in a three-match ODI series starting on Friday, July 22 at Port of Spain in Trinidad. The Men in Blue will be without their top stars like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Rishabh Pant who have been rested after their successful outing in the UK. 

India

In the absence of their full-time captain Rohit Sharma, selectors have appointed veteran batsman Shikhar Dhawan of India for the ODIs. The Indian team will be high on confidence as they defeated a mighty English side in their own backyard in an ODI series after 8 years.

This series will serve as a huge opportunity for young Indian players like Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Hooda, Shubhman Gill and Sanju Samson to cement their place in the side in the absence of first-choice players.

It was reported that Jadeja is likely to miss the ODIs. So it would be interesting to see how India makes a playing XI with the correct balance.

West Indies

West Indies have a golden chance to finally win an ODI series against India after more than 16 years. West Indies’ last ODI series victory against the Indians came way back in 2006.

Nicolas Pooran-led West Indies have recalled Jason Holder from their squad who has an exceptional record against India in all three formats. The Caribbean nation is heading into the series after a poor display against Bangladesh where they were whitewashed by the Asian side in a three-match ODI series last week.

For West Indies, responsibilities will lie on the shoulders of right-handed batter Shai Hope who has scored 733 runs in 20 games at an average of 45 against India in ODIs.

WAGING ODDS: India (1.33) VS West Indies (3.40)  

The Indian team is the favourite and is priced at 1.33 (as per bet365), meaning if you bet ₹100 on them and if they win the match, you’ll be making ₹133.

West Indies are close underdogs and are priced at 3.40 (as per bet365) meaning if you bet ₹100 on them and if they win the match, you’ll be making ₹340.

Our Prediction:

It would be interesting to see how India’s youngsters fare in the absence of first-choice players and they will have a tough time competing against West Indies in their own backyard. Overall we can expect a cracker game with the Indian team crossing the finish line at the end.

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