THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India– The West Indies will look to close out the year on a winning note in One-Day Internationals when they take on India in a three-match series from September 27 to October 3.
The first two matches will mark the end of the current qualification cycle for automatic qualification for the ICC Men’s 50-Over World Cup. However, regardless of the results, the West Indies cannot overtake their nearest challengers in the standings and will therefore have to go through the ICC qualification tournament early next year.
The Caribbean side were narrowly beaten 3-2 by New Zealand during the summer but have continued to produce consistent performances with the bat, led by captain Shai Hope and Keacy Carty.
Since 2024, Carty and Hope have been the pillars of the West Indies’ batting, combining for 2,554 runs across 33 innings.
Carty, a member of the West Indies’ victorious 2016 Under-19 World Cup team, has amassed 1,374 runs in 32 innings at an average of 46.22. He is also closing in on 2,000 ODI runs for the West Indies.
The 29-year-old, the first player from Sint Maarten to represent the West Indies, needs 186 more runs to reach the milestone and become the 24th West Indian to score 2,000 ODI runs.
Hope, meanwhile, has maintained a career average of above 50 and has scored 1,180 runs in 33 innings since 2024 at an average of 43.33. The West Indies captain will be looking to continue that run of form against India.
Hope has scored 16 percent of his 19 ODI centuries against India, including two unbeaten hundreds against the hosts.
The wicketkeeper-batter’s 19 ODI centuries also leave him just one short of surpassing Brian Lara and moving into sole possession of second place on the West Indies’ all-time list. Chris Gayle holds the record with 25 ODI centuries.
With the ball, Alzarri Joseph is nine wickets away from reaching 150 ODI wickets, a milestone that would make him only the eighth West Indian to achieve the feat.
The 29-year-old is already among the top 10 West Indian wicket-takers in ODI cricket and needs two wickets to move past Michael Holding and six to overtake the legendary Joel Garner.
Roston Chase and Jayden Seales are also closing in on 50 ODI wickets. Chase currently has 47 wickets, while Seales has 44.
The men in maroon are chasing their first ODI series win on Indian soil since 2002, when the visitors prevailed 4-3 in an exciting seven-match series.
In two of the last three three-match ODI series against India away from home, the West Indies were edged 2-1. In 2018, after losing the opening match of a five-match series, the Caribbean side battled back with a tie before winning the third encounter to level the series at 1-1. India, however, went on to win the final two matches in an entertaining contest.
The West Indies will also be looking to make amends for their last ODI appearance at Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. In the first ODI played at the venue, eight years ago, the Caribbean side suffered a nine-wicket defeat to India.
Head coach Daren Sammy is confident the team can build on the progress made over the last two years and use those gains as a platform for solid and competitive performances against the hosts.
“It’s been 24 years, we’ve not won a series here in India,” Sammy said. “So, it’s a great opportunity for us as a team to come out here and challenge ourselves and measure up ourselves as to where we are in ODIs. And I think it’s a great opportunity for us, the players that we have, to come and put in a good show against India and look to win a series, something we’ve not done in 24 years.”
Following the opening contest in Thiruvananthapuram, the men in maroon will travel to Guwahati for the second ODI before the series concludes in New Chandigarh on October 3.
-https://www.windiescricket.com/news/
