Weather may play spoilsport

Given the wet blanket of weather hanging ominously over the city, the timing and the venue for the first ODI between India and West Indies on Sunday doesn’t seem propitious.

How all the stakeholders involved will be hoping that ‘Sun’day will remain true to its name and that they can bask in the warmth emanating from it on a wintry December afternoon instead of seeking shelter from the pouring rain under umbrellas or within the four walls of the dressing room.

For the record, the elements have always given cricket in Chennai the evil eye accompanied by a grim sense of foreboding. The forecast for Sunday doesn’t look promising either with dark clouds lurking on the horizon threatening to render the ground to a swimming pool.

But the cricket enthusiasts will be hoping that hidden somewhere in the dark clouds will be a silver lining and that the match will not be a truncated affair as it was when Chennai last hosted an ODI against Australia two years ago. On that occasion, the rain arrived rather belatedly at almost the same time as India’s innings was about to get over and consequently Australia’s chase had to be reduced to 20 overs.

The fact that India came up trumps that evening enabled the spectators to go back home with a smile alleviating the pain earlier caused by the rain interruption and doubts about the resumption of the match. Chepauk also played host to the men from Caribbean last year, albeit, in a T20I clash that had nothing riding on it given the Men in Blue had already clinched the three-match series by then.

Nevertheless, there was no shortage of drama as what seemed a routine chase for the host ended up becoming a thriller with India completing a clean sweep off the last ball. Coming back to the present, apart from the irksome weather and an unpredictable opponent, India should also keep tabs on the growing list of players falling prey to injuries.

For a team that places so much accent on staying fit, what with captain Virat Kohli himself being at the forefront of the changing fitness landscape, this doesn’t bode well. In the last one week alone, Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been ruled out withMayank Agarwal being named the replacement for the former and Shardul Thakur coming in for the latter.

Bearing in mind how well KL Rahul has acquitted himself in T20s, after his travails in Tests that led to his ouster from the team, it remains to be seen whether his state-mate Mayank would get to make his much-awaited ODI debut. Rohit Sharma, fresh from a 31-ball 74 blitz in the thirdT20I in Mumbai, will be keen on continuing that rich vein of form.

Considering that this is the curtain-raiser and not a dead rubber as it was last year when the two sides met at the same venue, one can expect them to go at full throttle right from the outset without slackening up in intensity. The West Indies looks a rejuvenated side under Kieron Pollard and with Phil Simmons reinstated as coach, the two-time world champion boasts personnel with the requisite nous and expertise to lift it from the dregs of ODI rankings. Despite losing the T20I series 1-2, Pollard took great pains to emphasise the numerous positives they had slung up on their sleeve.

With the return of wicketkeeper-batsman Shai Hope, all-rounder Roston Chase and rookie fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, the West Indies looks well equipped to fire salvos not just intermittently but over a prolonged course of time. Just casting a glance at its bowling line-up will make it evident that it is by nomeans one-dimensional with variety being lent from two able spinners in Hayden Walsh and Khary Pierre.

The former, in particular, has made heads turn for holding his own against the formidable Indian batting line-up known to feast on bowlers of his ilk. And the visitor’s pace department is studded with feisty characters such as Sheldon Cottrell, and a relative unknown in Romario Shepherd who made his debut only last month against Afghanistan.