India’s Predicted Playing XI for third ODI against Windies: Sportsrush presents before you India’s Playing XI for the third ODI.

With the second match of the ongoing ODI series between India and Windies ending in a thrilling tie, the series is still 1-0 in India’s favour. With the next match set to be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, tomorrow, India would be looking to win the match and bring the series to a point from where they won’t lose it.

There is no hiding to the fact that India hadn’t expected the opposition to bat as well as they have batted in the two matches. With Windies crossing the 320-run mark twice in two matches, the selectors have handed comeback to the premier pacer-duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah.

India’s Predicted Playing XI for the third ODI

1. Top-order – The Top Three names in the line-up is one facet of the Indian team which seems to be not just sorted for their own good but also the best in the business in the current times. In vice-captain Rohit Sharma, his partner Shikhar Dhawan and captain Virat Kohli, India have an omnipotent top-order, names which can take a toll on the opposition across conditions.

2. Middle-order – With Ambati Rayudu remaining unbeaten in the first match and scoring his ninth ODI half-century in the second, India are eventually nearing on a permanent member at No. 4. in ODIs.

In the eight matches that Rayudu has played since his comeback in the Asia Cup, he has scored 270 runs at an average of 54 and a strike rate of 83.33. With the captain’s backing behind him, he and the team management would be expecting the same consistency in the matches to come.

When former India captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit a six off Marlon Samuels in the last match, it was a sign of him getting back into form. However, to the dislike of billion of Indian fans, Dhoni got out in the next few overs.

A vital member of the side leading to the ICC Cricket World Cup next year, Dhoni might need more runs under his belt for his own confidence than anything else. The same applies to India No. 6 in Rishabh Pant, who is pressing a case for the second wicket-keeper’s spot for the same event. He might have had a record-breaking start to his Test career, it will be ODI runs which will help him to board the plane to England next year.

Ravindra Jadeja bowled an economical spell at Visakhapatnam, but would be requiring more of it to go with runs from the bat to seal his spot in India’s line-up.

3. Bowlers – The pacer-duo of Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah are highly likely to walk into the playing eleven for the third ODI in place of Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav. Their presence would give Kohli a significant hope of restricting the opposition to a much lower total. The contest between Windies’ middle-order and this duo might just go down as the highlight of this match.

In the spin bowling division, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav will continue to deceive the opposition batsmen in the middle overs.

Read some of the recent Twitter reactions on the series below: