Can India stop rampant Windies?
October 29, 2018  12:33
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Welcome to the coverage of the fourth One-Day International between India and West Indies in Mumbai on Monday.

India will look to find the 'perfect' balance in their playing eleven when they take on a resurgent West Indies in the fourth match at the Brabourne stadium.

The decision to play with five specialist bowlers in Saturdays third ODI in Pune did not work for India and they ended up as the losing side for the first time in the home series against the West Indies.

With the series surprisingly tied at 1-1, and two matches to go, Virat Kohli's team finds itself in a must-win situation at the Cricket Club of India.

Credit must be given to the West Indies, who have not only moved on from a dismal Test series but given the formidable hosts a run for their money in the One-day format.   

As Kohli pointed out after the 43-run loss in the third ODI, the return of Kedar Jadhav (in picture) from injury will give the team much-needed depth in both the batting and bowling departments.

An unstable middle-order and lack of runs from Mahendra Singh Dhoni's bat are other issues facing India, not just for Monday's fixture but also in the long run, with 15 games remaining before the World Cup in England next year.

Having lost his place in the Twenty20 team, Dhoni is in desperate need of runs in the limited opportunities that are left ahead of the 50-over showpiece event.

Ambati Rayudu (22) did get a start in Pune, but if the right-hander wants to hold on to the number four spot, he will have to keep scoring consistently.

Rishabh Pant, who batted at five, ahead of Dhoni in the previous game, has been his usual aggressive self but a significant score in his debut ODI series is still awaited.

Amid all the uncertainty, Jadhav's return in the middle-order is more than welcome. His fitness was a concern in the recent past but he looked good in his first competitive game, played during the Deodhar Trophy, after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Besides his powerful hitting, his off-spin could also come handy.
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