West Indies and India commence a three-match one-day international series at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad on Friday with the visitors, even without their most prominent players, favoured to get the better of a struggling home side.

Fresh from a 2-1 series triumph in England, the Indians have opted to rest regular captain Rohit Sharma, key batsman Virat Kohli, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, allrounder Hardik Pandya and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

That presents an opportunity for talented and eager fringe players to make the most of the stars' absences at the expense of a team that was swept 3-0 by Bangladesh in Guyana the previous week.

West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran complained about both the quality of pitches against the Bangladeshis at Providence and the early start time which he felt conspired to favour the team bowling first too heavily.

That speculation overlooks the reality that the two-time former World Cup winners have been consistently poor in the 50 overs-per-side format for several years.

Given the unsettled weather leading up to the series-opener, it is quite possible that the playing surface will not be dissimilar to the bowler-friendly conditions in Guyana.

Even with that quintet of star players opting for a rest, India enjoy an embarrassment of riches, not least in the bowling department where they possess the quality and variety to exploit both the conditions and a vulnerable West Indies batting line-up.

Pacer Mohammed Siraj and wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal are expected to lead the effort to keep pressure on their opponents, many of whom were found wanting technically and temperamentally against Bangladesh’s spin-dominated attack.

For the home team, the one bit of encouraging news in the days since the end of the Bangladesh series is the return of Jason Holder.

Having been rested for series in the Netherlands, Pakistan and the visit by Bangladesh, the allrounder and former captain will be looked to for inspiration with bat and ball.

Pressure is very much on current skipper Pooran though to lift his team out of the doldrums into which they have appeared to sink so rapidly following comfortable 2-0 series wins in tests and T20 Internationals against Bangladesh.

His top-score of 73 last Saturday at the Guyana National Stadium ended a succession of mediocre contributions in ODIs.

However, the West Indies will need to have all hands on deck, especially opening batsman Shai Hope, if they are to get anywhere close to posting the sort of totals which could seriously challenge their opponents.

With so many big names absent for India, the likes of batsmen Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, together with allrounder Deepak Hooda are expected to come to the fore.

With another T20 World Cup campaign mere months away in Australia followed by India's hosting of the next 50-over World Cup in 2023, incentives to deliver are aplenty.

All three ODIs will be played at Queen's Park Oval after which the teams switch format but stay in Trinidad for the first T20 International at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba.

From there it's on to St Kitts for two games before the five-match series concludes in the United States with two fixtures at Lauderhill in Florida.

Teams (probable): West Indies – Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope (wicketkeeper), Kyle Mayers, Brandon King, Keacy Carty, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales.

India – Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan.

Batsman Suryakumar Yadav hit a quickfire 65 to power India to 184 for five in the third Twenty20 international against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday.

Batsmen Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer helped India beat West Indies by 17 runs in the third Twenty20 international on Sunday to sweep the series 3-0.

Yadav, who smashed 65, and Venkatesh, who made an unbeaten 35, put on 91 runs for the fifth wicket to guide India to 184 for five after being invited to bat first.

Venkatesh also took two wickets with his medium-pace as the bowlers restricted West indies to 167-9 as the hosts remained unbeaten in the six white-ball matches including a 3-0 ODI triumph.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran, who hit 61, raised hopes of a West Indies chase with two partnerships including a 48-run seventh-wicket stand with Romario Shepherd.

Pace bowler Shardul Thakur broke the stand to send back the left-handed Pooran and Shepherd fell for 29 off Harshal Patel who stood out with figures of 3-22.

Pace spearhead Deepak Chahar removed the openers early before limping off the ground after 1.5 overs.

BATSMEN RATTLED

Pooran, who hit his third successive half-century, and Rovman Powell, who smashed 25, counter-attacked in their partnership of 47 off 25 balls but Patel broke through.

Patel got Powell out and Venkatesh struck twice to send back skipper Kieron Pollard, for five, and Jason Holder, for two, to rattle the opposition batting.

"For us as a team, whether we chase or bat first, we have a challenge. We just want to keep improving," Rohit said.

"Our middle order is relatively new. We just wanted to tick the boxes. (We're) happy with the series, I think we got what we wanted from this series."

'FINDING THEIR FEET'

Earlier India lost their top four batsmen for 93 runs before Yadav and Venkatesh got together to take the attack to the opposition.

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, who made 34, hit back with a string of boundaries to bring up the team's 50 off 41 balls but legspinner Hayden Walsh broke through.

Shreyas fell to Walsh for 25 off 16 deliveries and the left-handed Kishan soon followed his partner to the pavilion after being bowled by Roston Chase.

Fast bowler Dominic Drakes bowled Rohit Sharma, who was appointed test captain on Saturday to complete his leadership takeover across formats, for seven after the skipper dropped down to No 4 from his usual opening slot.

Yadav raised his fourth T20 fifty in 27 balls and finished with seven sixes including three in the final over that cost West Indies 21 runs.

"Coming to India is always going to be difficult. We had an opportunity to win the ODI series as well," Pollard said.

"These guys are finding their feet... Looking forward to what the future holds."

INDIA: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma (capt), Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan

WEST INDIES: Kyle Mayers, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard (capt), Jason Holder, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Dominic Drakes, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh

Where Virat Kohli struts and shouts, Rohit Sharma strolls and smiles, preferring a more genial approach to the art of cricket captaincy than his predecessor as India's test skipper.

"A captain needs to stand at (the) forefront while performing, and for everything else needs to stand at the back," Rohit told an event before his appointment to one of most high-pressure jobs in world sport.

The skipper "can make a difference by standing at the back because then he can make sure he puts his hand around everyone", he said. The captain has to be "the least important member of the team".

Kohli, his detractors would argue, felt the opposite.

He was the star, the centre of attention and the in-your-face riler of opposing teams and umpires alike, constantly marshalling and needling his troops.

What the two men have in common though is their prowess with the bat, albeit again with a different approach.

Kohli – who stunned the cricket world by stepping down as test captain in January – is the swashbuckling No 3 or four, always busy between the wickets and grinding down the opposition.

Rohit, nicknamed "The Hitman", is the rock-solid opener who from Chennai to Chester-Le-Street can quickly tear apart a bowling attack, blasting boundaries to all corners.

He averages just shy of 47 in tests, second only to Kohli among current Indian players, and over 58 since he started opening the batting for India in October 2019.

Born to humble beginnings in Nagpur, the run machine made his test debut in 2013, but was subsequently in and out of the side over the next six years, only cementing his place with twin hundreds against South Africa in his first match as opener, since when he has never looked back.

"I like Hitman, I love watching his cricket," former England batsman Kevin Pietersen said before the announcement, one of a host of Indian and foreign cricket greats including former India coach Ravi Shastri to back him for the job.

LAST MAN STANDING

Kohli is one of the best batsmen of his generation. Under his leadership India shot up the world rankings and became a force to be reckoned with outside the subcontinent.

This included winning a test series in Australia for the first time, but India failed to win a single international championship during Kohli's tenure.

Rohit's success as captain in limited overs cricket – he already replaced Kohli as white ball captain in December – gives Indian fans hope this drought will end.

With Rohit as captain, Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians have won a record five titles. Under Kohli, Bangalore never lifted the trophy.

Whether he can repeat the magic with the dreams of 1.4 billion Indians on his shoulders remains to be seen.

His leadership skills will be sorely tested in a year of the T20 World Cup and the ongoing Test Championship with an in-form Australia set to tour India in September. Next year is the one-day World Cup.

One worry is Rohit's age – at 34 he is 18 months older than Kohli – and the associated fitness worries.

He already skipped the recent tour of South Africa, and his physique contrasts with lean-and-mean fitness fanatic Kohli, sometimes making him the butt of social media jokes.

Many would expect Rohit to remain as captain only for around two years, veteran sports journalist Sharda Ugra told AFP.

She added: "The case with Rohit was that he literally ended up as the last man standing in terms of captaincy and seniority."

Former India skipper Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will be rested for the third Twenty20 international against West Indies and the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, a board member told AFP on Saturday.

Both Kohli and Pant hit half-centuries on Friday to set up India's series-clinching win.

But they will miss India's next four T20 matches.

"Yes, both the players have been given a break for the third T20 and the Sri Lanka T20s too," a member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on condition of anonymity.

Kohli, who had scores of eight, 18, nought and 17 in his previous four white-ball innings, made 52 in India's 187 for five in the second T20.

Pant, a left-hand batsman, hit an unbeaten 52 off 28 balls and put on a blistering stand of 76 with Venkatesh Iyer to give India a winning total.

India will play the final match against West Indies on Sunday in Kolkata and then begin their series against Sri Lanka on Thursday, with the first T20 in Lucknow.

The T20 matches will be followed by two Tests with the opening match -- which would be Kohli's 100th -- in Mohali starting March 4.

The second Test will be a day-night affair in Bangalore.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, who took over the white-ball duties after Kohli's exit, is the frontrunner to take over as Test captain from the Sri Lanka series -- with the squad expected to be named over the weekend.

Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant hit attacking half-centuries to set up India's eight-run series-clinching victory over West Indies in the second Twenty20 international on Friday.

Chasing 187 for victory, West Indies finished on 178 for three despite a threatening century stand between Nicholas Pooran (62) and Rovman Powell (unbeaten 68 off 36 balls) in Kolkata.

India, who whitewashed the West Indies 3-0 in the preceding one-day matches, took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 series.

Pooran, a left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman, smashed five fours and three sixes in his 41-ball knock before falling to pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar in a four-run 19th over.

With 25 needed off the final over, Powell attempted a final onslaught with two sixes off Harshal Patel but the bowler held his nerve.

"You are always a bit scared when you are playing against these guys," skipper Rohit Sharma said after India's 100th T20 victory including Super over and bowl-out wins.

"But I am proud we executed our plans under pressure. It was very critical at that point when Bhuvneshwar bowled. That's where experience comes into play."

Man of the match Pant said: "I think Powell was hitting bullets out there."

"But at the back of the mind I was happy as well because he will be playing for (IPL side) Delhi Capitals."

Powell was bought by Delhi, led by Pant, for $375 000 in the weekend auction of the cash-rich Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament starting next month.

Offspinner Roston Chase took three wickets after West Indies elected to bowl in skipper Kieron Pollard's 100th T20I but Pant's unbeaten 52 steered India to 186 for five.

The Indian batting wobbled after Kohli's 52 but Pant, who hit an unbeaten 52 off 28 balls, and Venkatesh Iyer put on 76 runs for the fifth wicket to boost the total.

KOHLI HITS FORM

Pace bowler Sheldon Cottrell got Ishan Kishan caught behind for two after the left-handed opener's struggle at the crease in a 10-ball stay.

Rohit and Kohli rebuilt the innings in their partnership of 49 with the former captain coming in all guns blazing with a string of boundaries.

Chase sent back Rohit for 19 and then caught and bowled Suryakumar Yadav for eight.

Kohli, who had scores of eight, 18 and nought in India's 3-0 ODI sweep of West Indies and then 17 in the opening T20 win, overcame a brief lull in his glittering career to smash his 30th T20I fifty.

He raised his 50 with a six off Chase, who finished with figures of 3-25, but was bowled two balls later after his 41-ball knock.

The left-handed batting pair of Pant and Iyer, who made 33 off 18 balls before being bowled by Romario Shepherd, then hit back to take the attack to the opposition.

The West Indies started cautiously in their chase and lost Kyle Mayers for nine, caught and bowled off legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

Pooran took on the bowlers with a few boundaries but soon opener Brandon King fell to Ravi Bishnoi's leg spin.

Pooran, who got a reprieve on 21 when Bishnoi dropped him at deep mid-wicket and went on to raise his second successive fifty with a six, put on 100 with Powell.

"It was a pretty decent innings, did the hard yards in the early part and tried to carry it home but it won't go down as a special innings because we didn't win," Powell, an attacking middle-order batsman, told reporters.

The final match is on Sunday at the same venue.

INDIA: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal

WEST INDIES: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran(w), Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard(c), Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Sheldon Cottrell

India skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday lauded debutant Ravi Bishnoi after the legspinner set up a comfortable six-wicket victory over West Indies in the first Twenty20 international on Wednesday.

Chasing 158 for victory, Rohit's 40 off 19 balls put India in control and the hosts achieved their target with seven balls to spare to take the lead in the three-match series.

The 21-year-old Bishnoi impressed in his first international match, taking 2-17 from his four overs to restrict West Indies to 157 for seven despite Nicholas Pooran's attacking 61.

"Bishnoi is a very talented guy which is why we drafted him into the squad straightaway. We see something different in him," Rohit said of the bowler.

"He's got lot of variations and skill-set with him. He can bowl at any stage and it gives us a lot of options to rotate the other bowlers. He's got a bright future and it's just about us now on how we use him."

Bishnoi was named man of the match and said "it's a dream come true".

West Indies offspinner Roston Chase proved to be a big hurdle in India's chase as he returned figures of 2-14, including the key wickets of openers Rohit and Ishan Kishan.

But Suryakumar Yadav stood firm and smashed 34 not out off 18 deliveries to take the team home with Venkatesh Iyer, who hit the winning six in his unbeaten, 13-ball 24.

Earlier, Rohit took the attack to the opposition bowlers as he hit four fours and three sixes but mistimed a hit to the deep mid-wicket fielder where Odean Smith took a good catch.

The left-handed Kishan, who was bought for a whopping $2 million by Mumbai Indians in the IPL auction last Saturday, struggled on his way to 35 before falling to Chase.

KOHLI FLOPS

Virat Kohli's poor run extended into the T20 format as he fell to Fabian Allen for 17. He had scores of eight, 18 and nought in India's ODI clean-sweep of the West Indies.

Sheldon Cottrell's wicket of Rishabh Pant raised the tension in the Indian dug-out, but Yadav and Iyer put on an unbeaten stand of 48.

Put into bat, Pooran built key partnerships including a 45-run sixth-wicket stand with returning skipper Kieron Pollard, who hit an unbeaten 24 after he missed the last two ODIs due to a knee injury.

Pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed opener Brandon King for four with the fifth ball of the match before Kyle Mayers and Pooran, who hit four fours and five sixes in his 43-ball blitz, attempted to rebuild the innings.

The left-handed Mayers made 31 off 24 deliveries but fell lbw to Yuzvendra Chahal's leg-spin while Bishnoi slowed the flow of runs from the other end.

Bishnoi trapped Chase lbw for four and dismissed Rovman Powell cheaply three balls later.

Pooran, who was given an early reprieve on eight when Bishnoi took a catch in the deep but his foot touched the boundary rope, went on to complete his sixth T20 international fifty.

"We can dissect it (our batting) till kingdom come but we have to execute," said Pollard. "Hopefully come next game, that can happen."

The second match is on Friday, with all the games to be played at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

INDIA: Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal

WEST INDIES: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard (capt), Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Odean Smith, Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell

This week's multi-million-dollar Indian Premier League auction will not distract India's players from the T20 internationals against the West Indies, captain Rohit Sharma said Tuesday.

The big-ticket auction over the weekend saw India's Ishan Kishan fetch top price, with Mumbai Indians securing his services for a whopping $2 million.

Paceman Harshal Patel, who like Kishan is in the India squad taking on West Indies, was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for over a million dollars.

Other up and coming squad members were also lapped up at eye-popping prices, including Shreyas Iyer ($1.6 million) and Deepak Chahar ($1.8 million).

Sharma said he had asked the players to focus on the three-match series beginning at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.

They will have gone through "ups and downs" at the auction, he told a virtual press conference ahead of the T20 series.

"It is an emotional feeling which team you are going to play for and all," he said.

"Yesterday I had a great meeting with the boys, I asked them to focus on the colour blue, which is most important," he added, referring to India's one-day uniform.

"All these guys are professionals, once they are in India colours nothing else matters."

The IPL -- the world's most lucrative cricket tournament -- should not overshadow international commitments, the 34-year-old said, adding they play in the competition for just two months in a year, compared to 10 months for India.

"So I just want to focus on what we do for Team India and that's what matters."

The Indian captain sprung to the defence of star batsman Virat Kohli who has been going through a lean patch with the bat.

"He is in a great mental space from whatever I see of him. He has been part of this international team for more than a decade.

"If someone has spent that much time in international cricket, they know how to handle the pressure situations, the environment, everything."

He blamed the media for Kohli's performance, telling reporters: "If you guys can keep it quiet for a bit, then everything will fall into place."

The second T20 will be played on Friday followed by the third and final game on Sunday.

India's batting coach played down concerns Monday about the recent poor batting form of Virat Kohli, saying he was on the brink of scoring some "big runs".

Kohli, 33, last scored an international century in August 2019, and made eight, 18 and nought in India's recent 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies in one-day internationals.

The combative and sometimes controversial batsman, one of the best in the world, stepped down as India's T20 captain last year and was then sacked as ODI skipper. He then resigned the test captaincy in January.

"I don't think he's going through a lean phase," batting coach Vikram Rathour told a news conference.

"At least in this format, T20s and ODIs he has done really well. I understand he had a poor series against the West Indies (in ODIs) but (there is) no conversation (on his form) as such."

India and the West Indies will play three T20 matches in Kolkata starting Wednesday.

"He is batting really well in the nets and we are really happy with the kind of preparations he is putting in. I am certain that one of these innings he will score big runs," Rathour said.

India will head into the matches with an eye on the T20 World Cup later this year in Australia, where Rathour said their batters were equipped to deliver.

"We are working towards the World Cup in Australia. Unfortunately we are struggling a little bit with the injuries at the moment, few people are missing out (including vice-captain KL Rahul)," said the former India batsman.

"(But) With the batting that we have I don't think we have any issues. All our batters are capable of batting well in those conditions."

India top order batsman Virat Kohli had a subdued one-day series against West Indies but captain Rohit Sharma said the team were not worried about his form.

While India completed a 3-0 series sweep in Ahmedabad on Friday, Kohli did not shine, managing scores of eight, 18 and zero.

But Rohit laughed off suggestions that the person he replaced as India's white-ball captain was low on confidence.

"Virat Kohli needs confidence? What are you saying?" an amused Rohit told a reporter after Friday's victory.

"Not hitting hundreds is different but in South Africa, he just made two fifties in three matches.

"I don't see anything wrong with his game. The team management is not at all worried."

Rohit admitted India's top order was lacklustre but felt it could have been a blessing in disguise as the team's middle order got a chance to do more batting.

"In this series we saw how our middle order read the situations and batted accordingly. It's a big positive for us. We want to carry it forward."

In all three games, West Indies did not last the full quota of 50 overs or reach 200 runs.

"It does need urgent attention because it has lost us the last two games," head coach Phil Simmons said of their woeful batting.

"When you bowl India out for 230 and 260, you expect to chase it."

"So batting is a huge concern and people have to stand up now as we go into our next set of ODIs in June."

The teams will next clash in a three-match Twenty20 series in Kolkata beginning on Wednesday.

West Indies failed to cross 200 runs in their 3-0 ODI series defeat to India and coach Phil Simmons on Friday termed the team's extended batting slump as "hurtful".

The tourists lost the final match by 96 runs after being dismissed for 169 in their chase of 266 in Ahmedabad.

The once mighty West Indies have not been able to bat out their full 50 overs in their previous six ODI matches and suffered their second successive series defeat after a shock loss to Ireland last month.

"It (batting) does need urgent attention because it has just lost us the last two games," Simmons told reporters after his team's first ever ODI whitewash to India.

"Just a year ago we were cruising to 280-290 against Sri Lanka. So the batting is a huge concern and people should stand up as we go into our next set in June. People should make sure that they are batting for West Indies."

West Indies batted first in the opener and managed just 176, a total that India overhauled in 28 overs. Jason Holder made 57.

In the second match they were bowled out for 193 in their chase of 238.

"We've got to assess the situation and play accordingly. Most of the guys who are playing in that top five or six have got Test hundreds so they can bat," said Simmons.

"We can't be 100-6 in 20 overs, it's a 50 over game."

The former all-rounder added, "The last six games have been difficult in this format. We started putting things together when we played Sri Lanka. Difficult against Australia.

"But for this to come now, it's hard to swallow from the batsmen. It's hurtful and players know that."

West Indies failed to collect any Super League points for a direct qualification for the 50-over World Cup in India next year.

The top eight teams will get a direct entry for the main draw of the competition.

Simmons said: "We have to go back and improve to play in these conditions and continue to work on them."

However Simmons expressed confidence in his team, who won a Twenty20 series against England before the India tour, ahead of the three T20 matches starting Wednesday

"We have five players coming in from that series win over England so they will bring a bit of a winning vibe," said Simmons.

The T20 series will be played in Kolkata behind closed doors.

Skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday hailed Prasidh Krishna's spell of 4-12 as one of the best in India after the hosts outplayed West Indies by 44 runs to clinch the one-day series.

West Indies faltered in their chase of 238 to be bowled out for 193 in 46 overs in the second ODI as India took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series in Ahmedabad.

Krishna's career-best figures involved three maiden overs in his spell of nine to make India extend their successive ODI series win record over West Indies to 11.

"I have not seen that kind of spell in a long long time in India," Rohit, who took over as the full-time ODI skipper in the previous match, said of Krishna's bowling.

"He bowled with skill, he bowled with pace. The others complimented him. All in all a great bowling effort."

Krishna, who played his sixth ODI for India since his debut in March last year against England, said it was "flattering" to hear such high praise from Rohit - a veteran of 229 ODIs.

Pace bowler Shardul Thakur took two wickets while the rest of the bowlers got one each.

Suryakumar Yadav's 64 remained key as India posted 237 for nine, a total that looked below par but proved enough for the tourists who came into the match without injured skipper Kieron Pollard.

In reply, West Indies lost opener Brandon King for 18 and Darren Bravo for one with Krishna taking down both the batsmen in his first two overs.

Krishna struck again in his second spell to send back stand-in-skipper Nicholas Pooran, for nine, as West indies slipped to 66 for four.

"I have been striving to get more consistency. I remember when I started, I was excited and had so many emotions running through me," player of the match Prasidh told reporters.

"But over a period of time we have had our plans very clear and glad it paid off."

Shamarh Brooks raised hopes of a fightback with a 41-run partnership with Akeil Hosein who attempted to keep up the chase after his partners' departure in another gritty stand with Fabien Allen.

'SPECIAL' ODEAN

All rounder Odean Smith, who took two wickets with his pace bowling, gave India a scare with 20-ball 24 but Washington Sundar got him out and Krishna took the final wicket.

Earlier Yadav and KL Rahul, who made 49, put on 90 runs for the fourth wicket after West Indies fast bowlers struck early to reduce India to 43 for three.

Pace spearhead Kemar Roach drew first blood after getting Rohit caught behind for five in the third over of the innings.

Pollard's replacement Smith rattled the hosts with his double strike in one over to send back Rishabh Pant, who opened the batting, out for 18 and Kohli also walked back on 18.

"Odean is special. He is a strong guy," Pooran said of the 25-year-old Smith who played his fourth ODI since his debut in January.

"He is still young. With experience, sky is the limit for him."

The final match is on Friday at the same venue.

INDIA: Rohit Sharma (capt), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna

WEST INDIES: Shai Hope (wk), Brandon King, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Nicholas Pooran (capt), Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Akeal Hosein, Fabian Allen, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach

Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar set up India's comfortable six-wicket victory over the West Indies for the hosts' landmark 1 000th one-day international in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Rohit Sharma took to the field as India's new full-time ODI captain and his decision to bowl was vindicated by the two spinners as the hosts bowled out the West Indies for 176.

The skipper's top-scoring 60 then helped India romp home in just 28 overs on the day they became the first team to pass the 1 000 ODI milestone.

"I don't believe in a perfect game. We want to keep getting better as a team and all in all it was a great effort from everyone," Rohit, who took over as white-ball captain from Virat Kohli, said after the win.

"Honestly, I don't think we need to change a whole lot. All I will ask of the players is to challenge yourself and be innovative."

Rohit said his team took advantage of the toss but wants to take the flip of the coin away from the equation at a venue that witnesses dew in the evening.

The West Indies had slipped to 79-7 before Jason Holder hit 57 to salvage some dignity for the visitors.

Legspinner Chahal returned figures of 4-49 – including the key wicket of skipper Kieron Pollard for nought – to rattle the West Indies batters.

Pace bowler Mohammed Siraj struck first in the third over to send back Shai Hope as an incoming delivery got the wicketkeeper-batsman's inside edge onto the stumps.

India introduced spin in the eighth over and offspinner Sundar soon made it count, dispatching Brandon King for 13.

Chahal broke the West Indies' back with successive strikes but Holder avoided the hat-trick.

Holder put on 78 runs with Fabien Allen, who made 29, to offer some resistance against India's onslaught.

He went past 2 000 ODI runs and then raised his 11th half-century in the 50-over format but finally fell to Krishna, who finished with figures of 2-29.

DIG DEEPER

The West Indies batting has regularly faltered recently including in their previous ODI series loss to Ireland last month when they failed to bat out their 50 overs in three matches.

"We got to dig deeper and get better with techniques, again myself included," Pollard said.

Rohit came out attacking and dominated returning pace bowler Kemar Roach to smash two fours and one six in the 10th over.

He put on 84 runs with opening partner Ishan Kishan and made his half-century in 42 balls before Alzarri Joseph trapped him lbw, also sending back former captain Virat Kohli in the same over.

Kohli announced his arrival with two successive boundaries but got caught out at long leg two balls later.

Joseph said "it was a pretty slow wicket, spin-friendly" which made life tough for the fast bowlers.

Left-arm spinner Hosein got the wicket of Kishan for 28 and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was run out while backing up at the non-striker's end as India wobbled.

Suryakumar Yadav, who made 34, and debutant Deepak Hooda, who scored 26, saw the team home with their unbeaten stand of 62.

The hosts wore black armbands to pay their respects to superstar Bollywood singer Lata Mangeshkar, known as the "Nightingale of India", who died earlier Sunday at the age of 92.

The second ODI is on Wednesday, with all three matches to be played at the same venue.

INDIA: Rohit Sharma (capt), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

WEST INDIES: Brandon King, Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks, Darren Bravo, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Kieron Pollard (capt), Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Akeal Hosein

West Indies captain Kieron Pollard on Saturday said Jason Holder will remain their go-to death bowler in white-ball cricket as they take on hosts India in a much-anticipated series.

The West Indies, who are fresh from a Twenty20 win against England, begin their tour of India with the first of the three one-day internationals in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Fast bowler Holder played a starring role in the team's series-clinching fifth T20 last month with four wickets in four balls to see off England.

Dwayne Bravo remained a death bowler expert in T20 cricket till his retirement last year and Pollard believes Holder is a worthy replacement.

"From a T20 perspective we saw Jason bowling at the death, couple of times he bowled and came out successful," Pollard told reporters.

"And being one of our senior bowlers he will have to take up the mantle that Bravo left and it's something that he is willing and ready to do."

West Indies endured some rough times after the disastrous defence of their T20 World Cup title was followed by a shock ODI series loss at home to Ireland.

But Pollard's team hit back with the England win and the big-hitter hopes a good showing in India will further prove their mettle.

"It was one more lesson, we are trying to get better as a team and I think we crossed that bridge and got here and we are looking forward to the series.

"For us it's another opportunity to improve our skills and another opportunity to test where we are in international cricket coming up against a formidable Indian team in their conditions," he said.

Pollard, who attracted a lot of flak after their loss to Ireland, broke into a song in the post-presentation ceremony following their England win.

Man of the match Holder said it was the "closest" they have felt as a group.

The 34-year-old Pollard, a veteran of 122 ODIs and 98 T20 matches, said he is protecting his players from external noise.

"We continue to protect one another in terms of what's happening outside," he said.

"One of the ways to protect the guys is for me to put on that cape and make my back broader so all the focus could be directed at me. The guys can go ahead and charter their way through international cricket."

The ODIs will be followed by three T20 matches at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

India captain Rohit Sharma on Saturday ruled out drastic team changes in the wake of Virat Kohli's departure as skipper ahead of the hosts' 1 000th one-day international against the West Indies.

Rohit begins his tenure as full-time ODI captain in Ahmedabad on Sunday for the first of three matches after replacing Kohli.

A hamstring injury ruled out the 34-year-old from India's recent tour of South Africa, where they lost the test series 2-1 and were whitewashed 3-0 in ODIs.

"We have played good ODI cricket over the course of few years, more than four years actually, so suddenly a loss of series doesn't mean that there is panic," Rohit told reporters.

"South Africa series was a great learning (experience) for us as to what we didn't do collectively as a team," he added.

"What is important for us, moving forward, is the role clarity of certain individuals in the squad."

While Kohli was known for aggression in his seven-year term as captain across formats, Rohit, who has led the Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, is known to lead with calm.

Rohit, called "Hitman" for his flamboyant batting and big-hitting, said he will not tinker with the template that Kohli created.

"When Virat was captaining, I was the vice-captain so we pretty much went about the team in a similar fashion," said Rohit.

"I just have to take it from where he left. The team pretty much knows what is expected out of them. And we want to continue the same template," he added.

"There is nothing that I need to come in and change drastically."

COVID AND SPIN DUO

India's squad has been hit by Covid with four players including Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer testing positive ahead of the limited-overs series.

Rohit said Ishan Kishan remains the only opening choice in the first ODI, when India will become the first international team to have played 1,000 50-over matches.

The opening batsman said he wants to bring the spin combination of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav back into the fold.

Chahal, a leg-spinner, played the ODI series in South Africa but injury-plagued Yadav, a left-arm wrist-spinner, last played an international for India in July.

"These two guys have been great performers for us in the past and they have certainly created an impact in those years whenever they have played together," said Rohit.

"In the middle, they were left out because of the combination we wanted to get... but it's certainly on my mind to get them back together, Kuldeep especially," he added.

"But we want to get him in slowly. We don't want him to rush into things."

India's new white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma starts his fulltime ODI tenure on Sunday as his team play the West Indies in their 1 000th one-day international, the first side ever to reach the milestone.

The encounter at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad is the first of a three-match series but will be played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

India passed 500 000 deaths from the virus on Friday, although infection rates in the current Omicron outbreak have slowed in recent days.

"I was the captain of India in the 500th ODI," India's cricket chief Sourav Ganguly told Indian magazine Sportstar – a 2002 game against England in Chester-le-Street.

"It is a big moment for Indian cricket, but unfortunately, the match will be played without a crowd."

The hosts have been hit by the virus themselves with four players including Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad being isolated after testing positive.

Mayank Agarwal has been added to the squad and will be a candidate to open the batting alongside Rohit, although vice-captain K.L. Rahul remains a possibility.

The 34-year-old Rohit, who took over the Twenty20 and then ODI captaincy from Virat Kohli, was ruled out of India's tour of South Africa by a hamstring injury, when the visitors lost the test series 2-1 and were whitewashed 3-0 in ODIs.

He is leading the one-day side in a year that will see the T20 World Cup in Australia, and is favourite to be named test captain as well.

Indian broadcasters have been promoting the West Indies series with a song on Rohit's comeback likely to boost the hosts, and the star batsman acknowledged the compliment.

"Humbled by the lovely rap @StarSportsIndia Looking forward to be back on the field and take inspiration from the fans' continued support as India takes on West Indies," Rohit wrote on Twitter.

India have home advantage but will face a tough challenge against the West Indies who are fresh from a 3-2 T20 triumph against England at home.

The once mighty West Indies, two-time ODI World Cup winners, celebrated the series win after their disastrous T20 World Cup defence and a shock 50-overs series loss to Ireland.

Pace bowler Kemar Roach has been recalled to Kieron Pollard's side and the spotlight will be on pace bowler Jason Holder, who claimed a hat-trick and took four wickets in four balls in the series-clinching T20 win over England.

"For me, this is the closest that I've felt a group be in a very, very long time," Holder was quoted as saying by website ESPNcricinfo.

"Honest to God, the energy I felt from the meetings... most contributions I've ever seen in a West Indies dressing room. Even though you might not understand a certain decision, everybody's still buying in with it."

But he added: "I don't think it's a finished product and we've got to strive to be consistent."

The ODIs will be followed by three T20 matches at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

Four Indian players, including senior batsman Shikhar Dhawan, have tested positive for coronavirus ahead of the home series against the West Indies, the country's cricket board said on Wednesday.

Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer and Navdeep Saini (standby player) returned positive tests along with three support staff members with the first of the three one-day matches starting on Sunday.

Batsman Mayank Agarwal has been added to the ODI squad, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in statement.

The players and staff who have tested positive will remain in isolation.

The Indian team, led by new white-ball captain Rohit Sharma, assembled in Ahmedabad on Monday for the three ODI and three Twenty20 matches.

The ODIs will be played at the world's biggest stadium in Ahmedabad while Kolkata's Eden Gardens will host the T20 matches.

India has seen confirmed Covid cases slow in the ongoing Omicron variant outbreak but still announced more than 160 000 new infections on Wednesday.

The West Indies handed a recall to experienced seam bowler Kemar Roach on Wednesday as they named their squad for a one-day international series in India next month.

The 33-year-old Roach has taken 365 international wickets, including 124 in ODIs, but has not played a one-day game since 2019.

The Caribbean outfit will take on India in three games, all part of the 2023 World Cup Super League, in Ahmedabad on February 16, 18, and 20.

"Kemar Roach is one of our leading fast bowlers and we believe we need bowlers up front to get early wickets, and Kemar, with an economy rate of five, is certainly good enough to play," said West Indies lead selector Desmond Haynes.

There were also recalls for batsman Nkrumah Bonner, whose last of three ODI caps came last January, and opener Brandon King.

Bonner has become a regular in the test side, but has featured little in white-ball international cricket.

"Over the last few years, Nkrumah Bonner's cricket has come on leaps and bounds and we believe he should be given an opportunity to play in the 50-over format," said Haynes.

India named their squad earlier Wednesday, with captain Rohit Sharma fit enough to return from injury.

SQUAD

Kieron Pollard (capt), Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr

Rohit Sharma will return to lead India in the upcoming limited-overs series against West Indies after recovering from his hamstring injury, as the country's cricket board named the squad on Wednesday.

Rohit, who was recently appointed white-ball captain, missed the team's tour of South Africa and KL Rahul stood in as captain in the three one-day matches which the tourists lost.

India announced 18-man squads for three ODI and three T20I matches starting on 6 February, with the first 50-over game in Ahmedabad.

Vice-captain Rahul will join the team from the second ODI while fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested.

Ravindra Jadeja will miss the series as he is undergoing the final stage of recovery from his knee injury, the BCCI said.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav returns to the ODI squad after last playing for the national team in July last year.

Recently the BCCI revised the venues for the series, hosting the ODI games in Ahmedabad on 6, 9 and 11 February. The T20 matches will be played in Kolkata on 16, 18 and 20 February.

India are yet to name their new test captain after Virat Kohli, who remains an integral part of the team across formats, stepped down from the job following the team's 2-1 loss in South Africa.

ODI SQUAD:Rohit Sharma (capt), KL Rahul (vice-capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan

T20I SQUAD:Rohit Sharma (capt), KL Rahul (vice-capt), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel

India's upcoming One Day International and Twenty20 international series against West Indies will be hosted in two cities to minimise "biosecurity risks" amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said on Saturday.

The white-ball series was originally intended to be played across six venues, including the Indian cities of Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Cuttack and Thiruvananthapuram, but will now be hosted entirely in Ahmedabad (ODI) and Kolkata (T20).

"The decision ... has been done to mitigate biosecurity risks by cutting down on travel and movement of the teams, match officials, broadcasters, and other stakeholders," BCCI said in a statement.

The two series will be played between 6-20 February.