Siraj may return for third ODI against West Indies, Jadeja likely to sit out

The third and final One-Day International between India and West Indies will be played at the Mullanpur cricket stadium in Chandigarh. India have won both earlier matches to lead the series 2-0. Shubman Gill and his team will now go out aiming for a clean sweep.

India's coach Gautam Gambhir is said to be focused on the bowling in this match. Though India have dominated the series, the pitch is being discussed more. More than 800 runs were scored in the last ODI, and the pitch was criticised as being favourable to batting. Gambhir was among the critics. He wants a balance between bat and ball.

The bowling has been a concern for India. Under captain Gill, the batters have done well, but the bowling has remained weak. In both matches India took only one wicket in the first 10 overs, and conceded 177 runs across the two powerplays. India are also struggling to take wickets in the middle overs. Kuldeep Yadav is not getting much support from the other bowlers.

Questions have also been raised about an experienced player like Ravindra Jadeja, who has taken only three wickets in his last eight matches. He is therefore unlikely to find a place in the final eleven for the third match.

Gill's bat, however, is in full flow. His average in domestic ODIs since 2024 is 79.3. He has scored a hundred and a double century in this series. In the last match, his unbeaten 223 carried India to a record target of 406. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also had a chance to play useful innings. So far only four Indian batters have got to bat. KL Rahul, Naman Dhir and Jadeja are yet to bat.

India's biggest problem is the bowling attack. Prasidh Krishna is out of the final match with a left hamstring injury, and Anshul Kamboj has got the chance in his place. Mohammed Siraj did not play the first two matches but could return in this one. The Hyderabad pacer has not found his best form since the Sri Lanka tour. Even so, he will be keen to make an impression in limited-overs cricket.

Competition for a place in the ODI pace attack is intensifying. Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh and Akib Nabi are among the contenders, while Jasprit Bumrah's place is secure. A five-match series against New Zealand is due later this year. Before it, this will be another opportunity for young fast bowlers to cement their places. This is the first men's ODI at Mullanpur, and the bowlers hope the pitch will prove more helpful than those at Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati.

Although West Indies have lost the series, their batters have played well. John Campbell gave them explosive starts in both matches. Captain Shai Hope played the key role of steadying the innings before accelerating at the right time. The team will look for useful contributions from Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase and Keemo Paul.

India squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Akib Nabi.

West Indies squad: Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Vitale Lowes, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales.