India eye experimentation, West Indies eye reprieve in Mullanpur's first men's ODI
Two run-fests in sapping heat have defined the series so far, but a brand new venue brings some fresh uncertainty
Looking back, both games of the series have very roughly followed the same sequence. Guwahati was the Trivandrum ODI on steroids: on a flatter pitch, West Indies managed to upgrade from 295/7 to 405/7, and both times India chased it down at a canter, without bothering their middle-order. There have been eight centuries, four on either side. Twice now, India’s bowlers have proved insipid in the afternoon heat, and West Indies’s attack erratic under lights.
The differentiator has been Kuldeep Yadav, the leading wicket-taker so far, who used the surface to his advantage in the first ODI, and brought a semblance of control in the other, even if the rest of his ilk has found little to work with. After dealing with him for 20 overs, West Indies would have now built better judgement to face him, but the series is now past them, even if their Powerplay batting and Amir Jangoo have been distinct positives.
When asked about Gudakesh Motie and Vitel Lawes ahead of the first ODI, Shai Hope corrected a journalist for forgetting to mention Roston Chase. The offie has had a largely forgettable series, considering he came in with more India experience than the rest of the spin attack. But finger-spinners on either side have struggled, which prompted West Indies to get in Vitel Lawes, their teenage wrist-spin prodigy, even if it didn’t make much difference in the end.
From Indian fans’ point of view, the series has been a treat: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have cracked tons, while a red-hot Shubman Gill has partied with both, and has a realistic chance of breaking his own aggregate record in a three-match bilateral series. But expect experimentation, not just because India have the series, but because that’s their clear intention with the World Cup in mind.
India vs West Indies third ODI, October 3, 2026, 2pm start
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh
Well, more heat in the afternoon. Trivandrum and Guwahati were both hot, fielders were switching in and out, batters were cramping. That’s unlikely to change, with temperatures in the mid-30s in the afternoon. The sapping heat has been followed by long travel, covering roughly 4,000 km with matches scheduled in different corners, so there’s likely to be enough personnel change from both sides.
There’s also an element of uncertainty. This is New Chandigarh’s first-ever men's ODI, with the last List A game held in December 2021. Both teams won’t mind chasing: the side batting second has won four out of five List A games at the venue. Ahead of the game, Naman Dhir, who plays for Punjab, said he hasn’t assessed the pitch yet, but from what he understands, 290-300 will be a good total.
: For the third time in a row, India opted against practice a day before the game. Often, training sessions can give indications on team combinations, but India have already spelled out they’ll be changing things around, particularly for this dead rubber. Prasidh Krishna is out due to a left hamstring injury, and Anshul Kamboj has been called up. Given India’s outlook, he could slot in immediately, with the option to also try out Mohammed Siraj. Nitish Reddy could be back in contention, potentially switched out from his new-ball role in the first game.
Further up, it remains to be seen if one of the openers makes way for Yashasvi Jaiswal to finally get some game time. KL Rahul has not had a chance to bat, so if backup keeper Dhruv Jurel gets a look-in, it could be for Ruturaj Gaikwad. Naman Dhir also left the field during the second ODI, with visuals showing he twisted his ankle, but the management confirmed it was just cramps.
: Justin Greaves is out of the third ODI due to the calf injury sustained earlier. West Indies ended up adjusting well by giving Keacy Carty a top-order spot, even though he didn’t immediately make it count. Shai Hope continues his excellent ODI form, and in Amir Jangoo, the team has a who tackles spin well. The batting could stay untouched, unless they would like to give Jewel Andrew another go.
Their bowling poses a much bigger question. Alzarri Joseph, their pace leader, has had two torrid nights. Jayden Seales was taken for runs by Gill in the second game, while Keemo Paul did very little to justify being picked over Matthew Forde. Shamar, in for the second game, was more cold than hot. It remains to be seen if they put Vitel Lawes in the firing line again or switch back to Gudakesh Motie, with Chase likely to keep his place as the only right-arm spin option.
“I thought it has been a good gauge as to where we are in the context of ODI cricket, what we have to do in order to compete to win against a top side. The pitches have been very good for our batters, but it has been really harsh on the bowlers, but it is a good gauge” –
“I have been bowling since the beginning. I haven't been seen bowling in the IPL at all, because of the Impact Player rule, so I haven’t been required to. But I have been bowling for my state. I have also bowled for our (Sher-e-Punjab) league. And since my entry in the IPL, I have been working on my bowling a lot, especially in the Mumbai Indians camp. So that’s helped me a lot” –
