Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first against West Indies in the first ODI of the three-match series here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
Ishan Kishan would open the batting alongside Rohit Sharma while the hosts have also given a chance to Deepak Hooda in the playing XI. Virat Kohli handed Hooda his maiden ODI cap for the Men in Blue.
The Indian players will sport black armbands in the first ODI to condole the demise of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar.
At the time of the toss, Rohit said: "We will bowl first. 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. 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. We had a few positive Covid cases, so we have some new faces."
On the other hand, Windies skipper Kieron Pollard said: "The toss is fifty-fifty, we have to assess the conditions and bat well. We have come out well and bring out the results. The guys have to adapt to different scenarios. We had a series a few days ago, so we need some mental adjustment. We need to bat long and rotate the strike. There are a couple of changes in the team, Roach and Allen are back. Darren hasn't played a game since July, so an exciting phase for a few of these guys."
India playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna.
West Indies playing XI: Shai Hope, Brandon King, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard (c), Jason Holder, Fabien Allen, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach.
( With inputs from ANI )
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