The hosts India and the visiting side Windies will play the third and final game of the three-match ODI series at Barabati Stadium (Cuttack) on Sunday (22nd December). While the series is currently running on 1-1, the result of the Cuttack ODI will decide the series winner.
Windies won the first ODI at Chennai by eight wickets (13 balls). Meanwhile, India levelled the series after thrashing the visitors by 107 runs at Visakhapatnam.
The Cuttack ODI will be the last international match for both India and Windies.
Here is the predicted XI for India for the upcoming Cuttack ODI.
Rohit Sharma
In the last ODI, the limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma played a destructive knock as the Player of the Match award winner scored 159 runs off 138 balls (17 fours and 5 sixes). While it is his best year in international cricket, he surely wants to finish this year with another memorable knock.
KL Rahul
We can call now that the right-handed opening batsman KL Rahul has returned to the form. In the last ODI, he put the 227 runs opening partnership with his partner Rohit Sharma and scored 102 runs off 104 balls (8 fours and 3 sixes). Now, he has to show good performances in back-to-back matches.
Virat Kohli (C)
Indian captain Virat Kohli may fail in some innings, like in the last ODI (scored a golden duck), he now hardly stretches his poor form for a longer period. So, Windies now have to prepare to handle desperate Virat Kohli who is more dangerous.
Shreyas Iyer
In a very little time, Shreyas Iyer has set himself in the Indian limited-overs sides. The team management is feeling positive to utilise him in the no.4 batting position. The 25-year-old right-handed batsman is currently in great touch as he has hit four successive half-centuries in last four ODIs.
Rishabh Pant (wk)
In the last two ODIs, the young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has played much positive cricket. After scoring a crucial 71 runs in the Chennai ODI, he played a firing knock of 39 runs (16 balls) in the Visakhapatnam ODI. Now, he has to maintain this form to finish the immense pressure on himself.
Kedar Jadhav
The all-rounder Kedar Jadhav has got very limited opportunities in this series, but never disappointed with his performances. In both the ODIs of this series, he played good cameos with the bat after coming to bat at the late moment.
Ravindra Jadeja
The experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja always remains in the game, and his presence makes the team stronger in every aspect. However, the left-arm spinner Jadeja has to find out quickly how to stop Caribbean cricketer Shimron Hetmyer who is dominating him in the recent limited-overs cricket.
Mohammed Shami
The right-arm pacer Mohammed Shami is currently in great form and picked up three wickets in the last ODI at Visakhapatnam. In fact, in that entire ODI, he finished as the best bowler. He is properly leading the present bowling line-up.
Shardul Thakur
The last ODI was the first international game in 2019 for the right-arm pacer Shardul Thakur, and he broke the 61-run opening partnership after dismissing Evin Lewis. He can perform much effectively if he gets consistent opportunities.
Navdeep Saini
The right-arm pacer Deepak Chahar will miss the series-decider ODI due to an injury and the 27-year-old right-arm fast bowler Navdeep Saini has replaced him. While Saini has already impressed in his early T20I career, he can make his ODI debut in this crucial match.
Kuldeep Yadav
Before the last ODI, the left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav‘s place was hardly secured in most of India’s limited-overs playing XIs in 2019 due to his sudden struggling form. But in the last ODI, the 25-year-old had a great time as he became the first Indian bowler to claim two hat-tricks in international cricket (both in ODIs). Surely, it will give him huge confidence.