IND vs WI 2023: After India's win, Rohit Sharma hints at batting order experiments ahead of World Cup

Following India's victory in the first ODI against West Indies, Rohit Sharma explained the team's approach of experimenting with the batting order. The match saw Rohit himself batting outside the top-six for only the second time since 2013, and Virat Kohli did not get the opportunity to bat at all. India made several changes to their lineup during the modest chase of 115, seeking to fine-tune their strategy ahead of the upcoming World Cup later this year. The Kensington Oval pitch provided ample assistance to bowlers, resulting in 15 wickets falling to spin. Despite losing five wickets, India managed to secure the victory, with Ishan Kishan's impressive half-century instilling confidence in the team management as they finalise the World Cup squad.

The first match saw Kuldeep Yadav preferred over Yuzvendra Chahal, and he made the most of the opportunity, combining with Ravindra Jadeja to dismantle the West Indies' batting lineup. India also experimented with Mukesh Kumar, who delivered a decent performance in his debut game.

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Additionally, they tried Hardik Pandya as the opening bowler, yielding some success. These experiments are likely to continue in the second ODI as India aims to secure the series victory and extend their winning streak against West Indies in ODIs to 10 games.

On the other hand, West Indies face significant challenges and adjustments ahead. Their batting has been disappointing, with four of the top five batsmen reaching double digits but failing to post significant scores. However, the bowling displayed promise, containing India despite their low total. Shai Hope, the top-scorer with 43 runs, will be looking for support from the other end and expecting better shot-making applications from the team's batters in the forthcoming matches.

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