India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss on Sunday and elected to bowl against the West Indies in the opening game of the three-match ODI series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This will be 1000th ODI India will be playing, the first team to do in cricket history. In the landmark match for India, Deepak Hooda became the 243rd ODI player for India, receiving his India cap from former skipper and star batter Virat Kohli. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video of Hooda getting his cap as teammates around him congratulated India's new debutant.
"We had a few positive Covid cases, so we have some new faces. Deepak Hooda is making his ODI debut," Rohit Sharma said after winning the toss.
Rohit himself is making a return to the side after missing the entirety of the South Africa tour through a hamstring injury.
"Looks like a good pitch, won't change a lot. Will get better to bat under the lights. I am happy to be back, playing for India, good to be back on the field. It's been a couple of months since I played cricket," said the Indian captain.
On India's 1000th ODI, Rohit said: "It's a historic day in Indian cricket, been a long journey for India. We have seen a lot of ups and downs. As a team we have grown over the years, and we'll continue to do that."
The Indian players are also sporting black armbands to honour Lata Mangeshkar who died on Sunday aged 92.