India recorded a crushing victory against West Indies in the first ODI at Barbados on Thursday. The hosts, who were asked to bat first, were cleaned up for 114 inside 23 overs in extremely spin-friendly conditions.
India went 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series, with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja shine at the Kensington Oval.
Though India lost five wickets in their chase, it wasn't concerning. The likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were demoted, as Ishan Kishan opened the innings alongside Shubman Gill. The likes of Shardul Thakur were also promoted and given a chance to bat.
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Here are five learnings from India's win on Thursday:
Sanju Samson's World Cup hopes look bleak as Kishan flourishes
Sanju Samson was a notable exclusion from India's playing XI against West Indies on Thursday. The 28-year-old was kept on the bench for the first ODI in Barbados. Moreover, his competitor Ishan Kishan played a wonderful knock of 52 runs, as he guided India to victory.
At this moment, Samson's place in the World Cup Squad is hanging in the air. The right-hander has not had ample opportunities to impress the selectors. Kishan, on the other hand, seems to be high on the pecking order.
MORE: SKY wears Samson's jersey in the First ODI
Masterful Kuldeep Yadav stakes claim for World Cup spot
Kuldeep Yadav has made his comeback and how! The chinaman bowled a match-winning spell in helpful conditions. He just bowled three overs but picked up four wickets conceding only six runs. Two of the three overs were maidens.
After an impressive ODI series against Australia, Kuldeep has continued his form against the Windies. There are reports of India considering Ashwin instead of Kuldeep for the World Cup but Thursday's performance proved why India should not take such a decision in haste. These performances in the Carribean could prove to be decisive for Kuldeep Yadav.
West Indies show why they didn't qualify for the World Cup
West Indies will not be a part of the 2023 World Cup in India and Thursday's game showed why.
The once-mighty Carribeans failed to qualify for the tournament after being knocked out in the qualifiers recently. Their display in the first ODI against India was typical of their struggles in ODIs of late.
They failed to show up with the bat and were bundled out for 114 runs, meekly surrendering in the first ODI. Shai Hope's team is underperforming massively right now.
Hardik Pandya is a new-ball option for India
Hardik Pandya is fast developing into a useful new ball option for the Indian team. In the absence of first-choice bowlers, Pandya led the bowling attack in the first ODI against the West Indies. The Gujarat Titans skipper bowled brilliantly up top.
He picked up the wicket of Kyle Myers in the second over of his spell. He bowled three overs, giving away 17 runs. India chould test this in the next two ODIs.
Shubman Gill's lean spell continues
After a memorable IPL 2023, things haven't been the same for Shubman Gill. He has struggled to translate the momentum to international cricket.
Since the conclusion of the IPL, Gill has scored 83 runs in six international innings. His lean patch continued on Thursday as he was dismissed for seven runs in the first ODI against West Indies, albeit on a tricky pitch.
With many youngsters waiting in the wings, Gill needs to make sure he doesn't slip up.
MORE: What is West Indies' lowest score against India in ODI?
