SportsPosted at: Oct 2 2026 12:57PM


India eye opportunities for fringe players as WI series heads to finale

New Chandigarh, Oct 2 (UNI) With the series already secured, India will have more than a clean sweep on their mind when they face the West Indies in the third and final ODI at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.
India took an unassailable 2-0 lead with an eight-wicket victory in the second ODI in Guwahati, where captain Shubman Gill smashed an unbeaten 223 and Rohit Sharma scored 101. The result has given the team management an opportunity to look beyond the immediate result and assess players who have had limited exposure in the series.
The third ODI, scheduled to begin at 1400 hrs, could therefore become an important audition for India's bench strength.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj and others in the squad could come into consideration as India look to provide game time to players while maintaining the winning combination.
India's original ODI squad included 15 players, with Gill as captain, Rohit, Virat Kohli, Gaikwad, Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Naman Dhir.
However, Prasidh has been ruled out of the decider after sustaining a left hamstring injury during the second ODI. Anshul Kamboj has been drafted into the squad as his replacement.
The forced change also gives India an opportunity to look at another pace option, with Kamboj joining the squad in Chandigarh.
The focus on rotation comes after two hugely productive outings for India's established batsmen.
In the opening ODI, Kohli struck a century, while the second match turned into a record-breaking run chase. West Indies posted 405/7, their highest ODI total against India, before India reached 406/2 in 43.3 overs.
Gill's unbeaten 223 was the centrepiece of the chase, while Rohit's 101 helped India make a flying start.
Gill and Rohit put on 255 for the opening wicket, India's highest opening partnership in a home ODI, as the hosts chased down the imposing target with remarkable ease.
The series finale thus presents a different challenge for the team management. With the result no longer at stake, players on the fringes can be given valuable international exposure, while the established stars can potentially be managed with the larger ODI calendar in mind.
For KL Rahul, the third ODI could be particularly significant if he gets an opportunity. The wicketkeeper-batsman has been part of the squad but has not had much opportunity with the top order doing the bulk of the work in the first two matches.
Gaikwad and other squad members could similarly be in contention if India decide to alter their batting combination.
The bowling department is also likely to attract attention. Kuldeep Yadav has already made an impact in the series, while the absence of Prasidh opens up an opportunity for another seamer.
For West Indies, the final ODI is a chance to salvage something from a series in which their batting has shown considerable improvement despite two defeats.
Their 405/7 in Guwahati featured centuries from John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo. The visitors' ability to post such a substantial total ensured that the second ODI became a high-scoring contest, even though India's chase eventually overshadowed their effort.
The third ODI will be played at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, with the match scheduled to begin at 1400 hrs.
For India, the equation is straightforward: preserve the winning momentum while using the final match to expand the pool of players with meaningful international experience.
For those waiting on the sidelines, however, Saturday could offer something more valuable than the result — an opportunity to make a case for a longer run in India's ODI plans.
UNI BDN
Tags: #India eye opportunities for fringe players as WI series heads to finale
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