India vs West Indies second ODI: Windies needs a win to keep series alive

Long before Barsapara had floodlights, before the city had learned the vocabulary of international cricket, Guwahati had its gods, its hills, and its river. Kamakhya still looks down from Nilachal, Umananda sits improbably in the Brahmaputra, and the river continues its immense journey past them all. A day of cricket arrives here on Wednesday as India and the West Indies lock horns in the second ODI.

The India–West Indies ODI fixture has twice marked a milestone in Guwahati’s cricket history.

In 1983, Nehru Stadium hosted the city’s first international match. India had just won the World Cup, but the West Indies was still the game’s sovereign. Richie Richardson made his ODI debut that day, entering a cricket world in which Caribbean supremacy remained largely unquestioned.

Thirty-five years later, in 2018, the city had acquired a new home for international cricket. Barsapara, the modern successor, hosted its first ODI. India had become a white-ball powerhouse, and Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scored centuries as the host chased down 323. The West Indies, once the team everyone else sought to catch, was now trying to keep pace.

Guwahati is now an IPL venue, another marker of its growing place in Indian cricket. India sits atop the ODI rankings. The West Indies, however, has missed an automatic spot for the 2027 World Cup and must play the qualifiers for a third successive time. Denied the ideal start in Thiruvananthapuram, it will look to recover here and keep alive its bid to end a 24-year wait for a bilateral ODI series win in India.

There were signs of promise in Thiruvananthapuram. John Campbell and Justin Greaves, the West Indies’ fourth different opening combination in its last five ODIs, put together a 135-run stand. Greaves scored his maiden ODI hundred, while Campbell and Amir Jangoo made half-centuries. The bowling and fielding, however, need inspiration.

There is a certain ease to a team that knows where it stands. India seems to have it. Shubman Gill is the world’s top-ranked ODI batter and is in sublime form. Kohli looks liberated. There is a new aggression to his batting, an almost extravagant intent. Kuldeep Yadav’s return to the playing XI and his rhythm with the ball offered a timely reminder of his quality. Prasidh Krishna spoke of clarity within the team. India’s decision to forgo practice on Tuesday seemed another expression of that assurance.