Rohit Sharma takes charge of India for a milestone ODI against West Indies on Sunday, saying the team "have to change" as his tenure as captain begins in earnest.
India have lost their last four ODIs, after slumping to a 3-0 series defeat to South Africa in January, with Rohit forced to miss the games against the Proteas due to a hamstring injury.
The opening batsman was appointed India's ODI skipper in December, taking over from Virat Kohli, but he has yet to feature for his country since then.
Now his chance to stamp a mark on the team has arrived, and Rohit said it would be "the same template" rather than anything radical that he brings to the leadership, but it is clear this is a flexible template.
A three-match ODI series awaits, with matches being played on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, all at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, ahead of a three-game T20I tussle in Kolkata.
At the age of 34, Rohit is seen as a wise tactician, a safe pair of hands for the coming years, and he has no designs of being a radical skipper.
"We are a good team and have good players. It's just that on certain occasions, there will be situations presented in front of us where we have to change our game a little bit," he said.
"We have to change our game, there is no doubt about that. Adaptability and being open to different things at different points is what we have spoken of."
He explained: "We have played good ODI cricket over the course of a few years – more than a few years, actually.
"Suddenly a loss of a series doesn't mean there's a panic that we need to create. It's just the certain understandings, certain learnings that we need to take into our game.
"The South Africa series was a great learning [experience] for us as to what we didn't do collectively as a team."
India's 1,000th ODI arrives on Sunday. They will become the first men's team to reach that mark and have won 518 matches in the format to date (L431 T9 NR41) – only Australia have won more such games (581).
Rohit will be partnered at the top of the India order by Ishan Kishan, with COVID-19 positive tests sidelining both Shikhar Dhawan and Ruturaj Gaikwad, while Mayank Agarwal, called up to add another option, is in the quarantining stage as he joins the team bubble.
A tangled history
India have won seven of their last eight men's ODIs against West Indies; however, it has been a different story at the venue for this series. In fact, West Indies have won four of the five ODIs they have played against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
India's lone win came in November 2002. The latest meeting of the teams at this ground took place in 2011, so although there is a historical record of West Indies dominance, it would be a stretch to point to this as particularly relevant to this series... unless, of course, West Indies rout India, then wise heads can say they saw it coming.
That seems unlikely, though. India have won nine of their last 10 bilateral home men's ODI series (L1), including the last three. Their lone defeat in this period was a 3-2 loss to Australia in March 2019. The last time West Indies triumphed against India, in India, in a bilateral ODI series was a 4-3 success in November 2002.
Can Holder dazzle again for West Indies?
West Indies are fresh from beating England 3-2 at home in a T20I series, so their morale is high. Jason Holder's four wickets in four balls in the final over of the series decider stands him in good stead, and the former captain will have another achievement in his sights.
Holder, who has 141 ODI wickets, needs 46 more runs with the bat to reach 2,000 in ODI cricket. It would make him the fifth man to register 2,000 runs and 100 wickets for West Indies in the format.
CWI President Congratulates Hayley Matthews on ICC Women’s Player of the Month Award
Cricket West Indies (CWI) President, Dr. Kishore Shallow, has extended congratulations to West Indies captain Hayley Matthews for being named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for April 2024.
Matthews’ exceptional all-round performances against Pakistan earned her this prestigious accolade for the third time, a testament to her consistent excellence on the international stage.
She amassed 325 runs in the ODI series at a remarkable average of 162.5 and took six wickets. In the T20I series, she continued her stellar form, scoring 126 runs at an average of 42 and securing six wickets. Her outstanding contributions earned her four Player of the Match awards and the Player of the Series title in the ODIs.
President Shallow praised Matthews' achievements, stating, “Hayley continues to be an inspiration and a beacon of excellence for West Indies cricket. Her dedication, skills, and leadership are evident in her performances, and we are incredibly proud of her accomplishments.”
Matthews edged out strong competition from South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu to claim the award. Her latest triumph adds to her previous wins in November 2021 and October 2023, making her one of the most decorated players in this category. Only Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner has won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award more times than Matthews.
Reflecting on CWI’s commitment to women's cricket, Dr. Shallow remarked, “CWI’s continuous efforts to support and develop women’s cricket are yielding remarkable results. Hayley’s success is a clear indicator of the growth and potential of women’s cricket in the West Indies. We remain steadfast in our mission to provide our female cricketers with the best opportunities to excel.”
President Shallow also emphasized the broader impact of Matthews' success: “Hayley’s achievements not only bring pride to West Indies cricket but also inspire young girls across the Caribbean to pursue their dreams in the sport. Her journey is a powerful narrative of what can be achieved when desire meets hard work and determination.”
CWI remains committed to fostering the development of women’s cricket through robust programs, dedicated support, and investment in talent. The success of players like Hayley Matthews showcases the progress being made and the bright future of women’s cricket in the region.
Houston Dynamo FC v FC Dallas: Estevez hopes to take advantage of 'great opportunity'
Nico Estevez considers FC Dallas' trip to Houston Dynamo FC a "great opportunity" for his side to lay down a real marker.
Dallas defeated Austin FC 2-1 last time out and have now taken seven points from the last nine on offer on home soil.
Away from home, however, they have taken just one point from a possible 15 this season, with Estevez now after points plus performances in his side's fourth Copa Tejas outing of the campaign.
"I think the team is working well," he said. "They are energetic and we are improving both in results and the level of play.
"We have to continue growing. This game is a great opportunity to do so away from home; to be able to achieve something more than just points and to be able to achieve something important that will help us.
"We are going to have to do many things well to be able to win against a rival as important as Houston."
The Dynamo went down 1-0 to Austin late on in midweek, placing them eighth in the Western Conference and six points better off than their next opponents, having played a game more.
Houston have scored the fewest goals of any side in the West (11), which head coach Ben Olsen acknowledged is down to a lack of quality in front of goal.
"It's decision making and quality in the moment," he said at his pre-match press conference.
"It's not for the lack of getting in dangerous areas on the field. Checking boxes, you don't need a 2.0 expected goals to win games."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Houston Dynamo - Amine Bassi
The Dynamo had 17 shots against Austin without finding the net, six of which were on target - and three of those via Bassi alone.
Bassi's 1.8 shots per game is bettered only by Ibrahim Aliyu (2.5) this season among Houston players, yet he has registered zero goals thus far. That is something that must be put right.
FC Dallas - Petar Musa
Musa played a part in both of Dallas' goals in their victory over Austin, as he scored the opener himself and then assisted Jesus Ferreira for what proved to be the decisive goal.
The Croatia international has now contributed to five of Dallas' last seven MLS goals - three goals and two assists - meaning he is the man for Houston to stop.
MATCH PREDICTION: HOUSTON WIN
Houston's loss to Austin was their fourth defeat in their past seven league matches, compared to just two losses across their previous 17 outings dating back to last July.
Dallas have won three of their past four games in all competitions, meanwhile, having won just three out of 17 prior to this upturn in form.
However, not since November 2020 have Dallas won three successive games across all competitions, while the home team in this fixture is unbeaten in the last 20 encounters between these sides - albeit 11 of those ending all square.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Houston - 42.2%
Draw - 29.3%
Dallas - 28.5%
Ambrose bullish on West Indies’ chances at T20 World Cup
West Indies great and ICC Hall of Famer Curtly Ambrose believes his former team have enough talent to win an unprecedented third ICC Men's T20 World Cup title next month.
While the West Indies are just one of the two sides to have won multiple men’s T20 World Cup titles, the Caribbean team will need to overturn some poor form at recent ICC tournaments, if they are to become the only three-time winner of the event.
The West Indies didn't make it out of the first round of the most recent T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022 and failed to even qualify for last year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India.
But Ambrose thinks the West Indies' fortunes are turning under skipper Rovman Powell and pointed to T20I series successes over powerhouses South Africa, India, and England in the last 14 months as evidence of this.
These returns have the legendary fast bowler confident of a strong showing from the West Indies in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, an event they will co-host with the USA.
"We have a very, very good team. As we speak they (West Indies players) are in Antigua at a camp preparing themselves for the start of the T20 World Cup which is a couple of weeks away," Ambrose said while speaking at the launch of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York earlier this week.
"I believe once the guys start playing consistent cricket and smart cricket, I believe we can take the trophy. It is not going to be easy, but we are one of only two nations to have won it twice so we are going to try and make it three. And no other nation has ever won it on home soil, so all that is motivation for the guys to do well and I am hoping they can do it,” he added.
The West Indies are drawn in Group C at the T20 World Cup and face the champions of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier Papua New Guinea first up in Guyana on June 2, before their remaining opening round fixtures against Uganda, New Zealand and Afghanistan.
Ambrose expects to see some upsets at this year's edition of the T20 World Cup as he knows every side has plenty of talented players at their disposal.
"I admire a lot of cricketers (at the T20 World Cup) and I am looking forward to them doing well. As a proud Antiguan and being from the West Indies, I want the West Indies to win,” he said.
"It is not going to be easy because in T20 cricket every team has an equal chance of beating any other team and that is just the nature of T20 cricket. It is going to be exciting, but I am going to be rooting for the West Indies,” Ambrose ended.
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