Kochi: Not having lost their last three ODI home series against the Caribbeans, India will start favourites as they take on West Indies in the first of the five ODIs at Kochi's Nehru Stadium on Wednesday. Catch all the live updates and scores here. (LIVE SCORECARD | SCHEDULE )
The West Indies team at a training session earlier.
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13:49 (IST): The West Indies players are now warming up at the Kochi ground and so the pay dispute issue is not going to force a boycott today. The pitch has a bit of moisture in it and there will be something for the spinners later.
This #IndvWI series will once again Test Caribbean loyalty. Do they play better for #IPL teams? Wage disputes will affect any pro cricketer
— soumitra bose (@soumitra65) October 8, 2014
13:10 (IST): As per the latest news, the West Indies team has boarded the bus and they are on their way to the ground. Although there is a threat of thunderstorm later at Kochi, the weather is clear as of now.
Indian team practice in Kochi.
© PTI
West Indies have grabbed all the wrong headlines ahead of their series against India. Two defeats in the warm-up games against India A and a pay dispute less than 24 hours ahead of the first ODI in Kochi sums up the mood in the Caribbean camp.
The reputation of West Indian cricket has declined rapidly in the post-Clive Lloyd era. West Indies have toured India thrice in the last four seasons and seem to be BCCI's favourite punching bag. Several Caribbeans perform better when they play private T20 tournaments like IPL and Champions League T20 than wearing their national colours. This series will once again test the 'loyalty' factor.
West Indies are without two key players - Chris Gayle and Sunil Narine. The latter's absence is quite mysterious and chief selector Lloyd is angry that Narine has been cleverly 'dumped'. In Indian conditions, Narine's finger spin would have been a great asset. The job has to be done by Sulieman Benn, who has the experience of bowling on Indian wickets.
While West Indies will rely heavily on skipper Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell - all IPL stalwarts - the team is not without depth. Ravi Rampaul and Marlon Samuels are quality limited overs cricketers and Denesh Ramdin's ability to score big in the middle order make West Indies a good side. Planning and application are all they need.
Indian coach Duncan Fletcher (left) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni during practice at Kochi.
© PTI
India, of course, are better organized. Skipper MS Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher will work behind the scenes alongside Ravi Shastri to test new combinations and players. While Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan are expected to open the batting, this series should see Virat Kohli back among runs. But all eyes will be on Kuldeep Yadav, the rookie Chinaman bowler who made the squad after Ravichandran Ashwin was rested.
Bowlers like Yadav are rare in cricket. He made an impression during CLT20 and the selectors will like to watch him from close. West Indies are suspect against spin. The last time West Indies played in Kochi, spin ruined them. All the odds seemed to be stacked against the visitors.
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