The Indian cricket team sprang a surprise at the toss of the second ODI against West Indies on Saturday as they rested veteran duo Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. In Rohit Sharma's absence, India's T20I captain Hardik Pandya led the side, as it was asked to bat first in the match. Pandya said that they were seeking answers to a few questions and that's why the duo was rested. In place of the veterans, Sanju Samson and Axar Patel have been brought in.
"We were looking to bat first. We want to see how much we can score on this pitch which is a bit up and down. Few questions need to be answered for us, so Virat and Rohit are resting. They can be fresh for the third ODI. The way we bowled was impressive. The way we caught was great, it changed momentum. I think when you get someone out for 115, it's a good effort from the bowlers. Our catching was impressive, but we can improve in certain areas. Instead of losing five wickets, we could have lost only two wickets and finished the last game. Sanju Samson and Axar Patel come in for Rohit and Virat," stand-in captain Hardik Pandya said at the toss.
WI Skipper Shai Hope said during the time of toss, "We are going to bowl first, we saw what happened in the last game. The conditions will assist the bowlers. We got two games to play, so we got to win this one to stay alive. It has been a bit unpredictable. Both teams have to play on the same surface. We got to bowl first and put them under pressure. Powell, Drakes is out, Alzarri and Keacy are in."
West Indies (Playing XI): Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Keacy Carty, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales
India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan(w), Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya(c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar