Team India will be up against West Indies in the three-match ODI series following the completion of the Test matches. While the series may be of little importance for the West Indies who will not be taking part in the World Cup for the first time in history, for India it is a chance to test their bench strength and give them some game time before picking the squad for the Asia Cup, which might see the return of a couple of players who are currently out injured.
No. 4 and the wicketkeeper batter - these are the two positions that the team management is likely to look at with keen eyes with both Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul likely missing the Asia Cup as well. Otherwise, the rest of the team picks itself. However, Mohammed Siraj has come back to India as part of workload management and it will be a test of a young and inexperienced pace attack at this level. However, it will also be an opportunity for the bowlers to leave a mark, especially at a venue like Barbados where they have ruled the roost.
Here's a look at the pitch, weather and records at Kensington Oval, Barbados:
Pitch report and records
As usual, the pitch at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown will aid the bowlers. The average score at this venue batting first has been 239, which shows that it has been a struggle for the batters. The pitch is slow and the bowlers from both teams will enjoy this surface. The captain winning the toss is likely to bowl first given that the team chasing will have an idea how to go about on that surface with the bat. In 44 ODIs played at the venue so far, 25 have been won by the teams batting second and 19 by the team batting first.
Weather forecast
The weather is set to stay dry. Even though there is a 25 percent probability of rain, it is unlikely to affect the game in Bridgetown on Thursday, July 27. The temperatures are set to hover around a high of 31 degrees and a low of 27 degrees.
