Srinagar: J&K tearaway pacer Umran Malik was dropped from Team India playing eleven for the 3rd ODI vs hosts West Indies.
The third ODI between the two sides is currently on at Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. The series is tied 1-1.
West Indies captain Shai Hope won the toss and opted to bowl yet again. They went in with the same combination, which won them the second ODI last week.
Team India continued to rest veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the second match on the trot. As a result, Hardik Pandya continued as skipper for this contest.
India made two changes to their playing XI after suffering a deflating loss in the second ODI. Umran Malik and Axar Patel were left out in favor of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Jaydev Unadkat. Ruturaj makes his ODI debut, while Unadkat made a comeback into the 50-over format for the first time since 2013.
Malik played in the first two ODIs of the series, but did not get to bowl much. He only bowled three overs each in those games before being dropped for the series finale.
Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha while previewing the third ODI on JioCinema said that India should have utilised Malik properly.
“If we talk about the bowling, I will want to see one thing. Your main bowlers should get their full quota of overs, like complete Umran Malik’s quota of overs. We saw Axar Patel, on a wicket where there was turn and the batters were finding it difficult when you changed your pace, bowling only two overs including a maiden,” Ojha said.