The white-ball leg of India’s tour of the West Indies will start on July 27 (Thursday). Both teams will lock horns in the first game of the three-match ODI series at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown. The ODI series will be followed by the five-match T20I series.
India started the tour with a one-sided win in the first test, while the second game ended in a draw due to rain. The visitors won the series 1-0. However, ahead of the first ODI, Team India has decided to give rest to their premium pacer, Mohammed Siraj.
As a result, he has been sent back home and rested from the white-ball series. As per ESPN Cricinfo, Siraj traveled back to India with other test returnees like Ajinkya Rahane, Ravi Ashwin, KS Bharat, and Navdeep Saini. Now, India will have Umran Malik, Jaydev Unadkat, Mukesh Kumar, and Shardul Thakur in the pace attack.
The report further suggests that the BCCI took this decision to manage Siraj’s workload ahead of his packed schedule. He is an important part of the Indian squad and will have a vital role in the upcoming Asia Cup and ODI World Cup. The pacer was not part of the T20I series after the ODIs and ended up taking seven wickets in two tests.
His 5/60 in the first innings of the second test helped India bundle out the hosts cheaply. Mohammed Siraj is currently the No. 2 ranked ODI bowler and has led the Indian pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. Siraj played his last ODI in March 2022 against Australia at home.
He has taken 43 wickets since 2022 in ODI cricket, which is the most for an Indian bowler. Meanwhile, India will start their preparation for the upcoming World Cup with three ODIs against the West Indies. It will be a great chance to test their bench strength and give them confidence.
