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Windies batters to struggle
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Bridgetown pitch won't help them
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Gill has excellent record
West Indies v India
Thursday 27 July, 14:30
TV: Live on TNTSports
West Indies team news
West Indies, of course, failed to qualify for the World Cup, a defeat by the Dutch in a Super Over a particularl nadir. They were chaotic on-field and in selection in that tournament. A bit of common has returned with Shimron Hetmyer and Oshane Thomas picked again.
Nic Pooran and Akeal Hosein are with Major League Cricket and there is no spot for Jason Holder. Holder's absence is no bad thing consideirng his performance levels in the qualifying tournament. Jayden Seales and Gudakesh Motie return.
Possible XI: King, Mayers, Hope, Carty, Hetmyer, Powell, Shepherd, Joseph, Thomas, Motie, Seales
India team news
India have the big guns, who are fit at least, available as they tune up for the home World Cup starting in October.
The front three with the bat are settled but there is much focus on whether Suryakumar Yadav can nail down the No 4 slot. It's a potential problem for India ahead of the tournament. Hardik Pandya is also available.
With Jasprit Bumrah still injured, Mohammad Siraj is attack leader with 43 wickets in the last two year, He could be paired with leftie quick Jayden Unadkat for variety. Shardul Thakur has been Mr Releable as a bowling all-rounder.
Ishan Kishan probably pips Sanju Samson for the wicketkeeper role. Ravi Jadeja and Axar Patel are gold as spin all-rounders.
Possible XI: Sharma, Gill, Kohli, Yadav, Ishan, Hardik, Jadeja, Axar, Thakur, Unadkat, Siraj
West Indies v India 1st ODI pitch report
There have been ten ODI in the last five years at Bridgetown. The run rate in that time is an average of 5.17 and given that stat it's no surprise that more than 300 has been brecahed just the once in first-innings.
West Indies have had awful struggles with the bat in this format and given the histroical pitch data, batting first they could struggle to break a par line in the region of 260.5. They have busted that mark nine times in their last 22 first-innings.
West Indies v India 1st ODI match odds
Last July these two were engaged in a ding-dong three-match series when the prognosis for the Windies was pretty good. Sure, they lost all three but two were by three runs and two wickets respectively. It was a cracker of a series.
It is hard to see West Indies doing as well this time. Confidence is on the floor after what happened in Zimbabwe in their bid to make the World Cup.
India are as short as 1.3130/100 and although that pricks up the ears for a trade chance on the hosts at 4.1031/10, we might wait to see how they fare in the early exhanges. No rain is forecast currently.
West Indies v India 1st ODI player bets
The stars of that series last year for India were Shubmann Gill and Axar Patel. Gill was the series top runscorer while Axar produced fearsome hitting at the death.
It's probably more sensible to focus on Gill in the early exchanges and Sportsbook rate him at 4/15.00 for top India bat. It's worth taking. Rohit has been boosted to 7/24.50 and Kohli 7/24.50. Suryakumar Yadav really struggled last year on this tour so don't go mad.
For West Indies Shai Hope finsihed as top bat in that series but the 16/54.20 isn't quite right. He's no longer opening, either. Kyle Mayers took a liking to the India attack and there's a chance he opens although 7/24.50 is not screaming rick.
With the ball, Siraj's potency over the last two years makes him the right favourite for top India bowler at 3/14.00.