Plot:

India and West Indies will press the ‘restart’ button after what happened in the first ODI, at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad & Tobago. The first ODI was washed out after India batted and the Windies bowled for 39.2 overs. The West Indies bowlers were put through the grind by the Indian openers, but they made a fine comeback during the middle overs of the innings. Just as an even battle was about to ensue between the two sides, rain came down, stalling the game. Although there was a resumption after a one-hour delay, heavier showers returned to bring an end to play for the final time in the 40th over. Concerns over weather will stay during the second ODI as well, and the players will not be too happy about interruptions once again.

West Indies won’t be too unhappy with their performance though. They never let the Indians get away with the run-rate at any stage of the match. By the time it was called off, India’s run-rate was hovering around the 5 runs per over mark. Their spinners did a fine job too, slowing the openers down and keeping their cool even when Dhawan brought out the attacking strokes against them. They will have a fair idea of how to bowl to the strong Indian line-up, as they play the second ODI on the same ground, under similar conditions.

There isn’t much to worry in the Indian camp. Ajinkya Rahane was the obvious replacement for Rohit Sharma as an opener, and he didn’t disappoint. He paired up perfectly with Dhawan. The team handed Kuldeep Yadav his maiden ODI cap, but he couldn’t get a piece of the action due to the bad weather. However, when the time comes, it will be interesting to see how he tests the Windies batsmen, who are not too experienced on the international circuit.

Stage:

Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad & Tobago:

The second ODI will be played on the same venue as the first one. The conditions and the weather are touted to be similar too. With chances of weather playing a major role, the team winning the toss should bowl first. There is a strong forecast of rain on Sunday, during the game. The pitch is expected to play slow once again and batsmen will have to bide their time before they go about playing freely.

Acts:

Ajinkya Rahane vs Alzarri Joseph

Joseph has pace and has an effective slower one as well. He got Ajinkya Rahane out on one of those deceptive deliveries, getting him to close the face of his bat early, inducing a leading edge. Rahane had tackled him well off the new ball though. This is a battle that could carry on through this series.

Kuldeep Yadav vs Shai Hope

Kuldeep Yadav didn’t have much work to do on his debut, unlike his Test debut, against Australia. He is an exciting prospect and watching a chinaman bowler in full flow is a sight to cherish. Shai Hope has been one of the in-form batsmen for West Indies over the past couple of months. He has been a rock in the middle order and Kuldeep’s variations could test him. Let’s hope rain doesn’t come down this time.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Evin Lewis

Evin Lewis scored a match-winning century against India in a T20I in Florida, last year. Bhuvneshwar Kumar wasn’t a part of that playing XI, and is in piping hot form now. His bowling is equally dangerous at the top and at the death. He will test the attacking southpaw with some swing early on in the opener’s innings.