India will be looking to sign-off their One-day International series with West Indies with a resounding victory in the final match at Sabina Park here Thursday. The Indians stumbled in the previous match two days ago, when they lost the fourth match by 103 runs at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua. The visitors hold an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the series, after victories in the first three matches, but they will want to finish strongly, bringing West Indies back down to earth, particularly with a three-Test series immediately following.
“If we keep it simple and stick to the basics, we will get the right results,” said India vice captain Harbhajan Singh. “It would be nice if we can finish the series on a good note and take a 4-1 win. We are looking to give our best shot and win the last match.” West Indies captain Darren Sammy was relieved to get a victory over the newly-crowned world champions, and said his side was a work-in-progress. “We faced a similar situation in our previous series against Pakistan,” said Sammy.
“We now know what it is to beat India, and hopefully, we can do the same things, and get a similar result to end the series on a winning note as well.” The pitch has gained unusual attention because the first Test is scheduled to start at the same venue three days later. It should give the two sides a useful indication of what they might expect over the long haul, helping them to tailor their sides for the first Test. “I expect us to have a pitch that bounces more than the ones that we have seen in the Eastern Caribbean,” said long-standing head groundsman Charlie Joseph. Jamaicans will also feel a sense of relief, after last year’s international fixtures between West Indies and South Africa had to be shifted, following civil disturbances in the capital of Kingston.
Squads:
West Indies (from): Darren Sammy (capt), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh Jr, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Kemar Roach, Anthony Martin, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons
India (from): Suresh Raina (capt), Subramaniam Badrinath, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Munaf Patel, Parthiv Patel, Yusuf Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG), Norman Malcolm (WIS)
TV umpire: Gregory Brathwaite (WIS)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
Reserve umpire: Joel Wilson (WIS)
