Did India make mistake by not playing Mohammed Siraj in 1st IND vs WI ODI?
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Mohammed Siraj was expected to be leader of India’s pace attack in 1st IND vs WI ODI.
The first game of the three-match ODI series between India and West Indies is currently underway at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first.
This is only the third ODI match to be played at this venue in Trivandrum. India have given the debut cap to Naman Dhir with Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli as their top three.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was dropped, whereas Ruturaj Gaikwad was slotted to bat at no. 4 in the absence of Shreyas Iyer, who is currently with the T20I side at the Asian Games 2026, along with Jasprit Bumrah and Ishan Kishan.
India have gone with an inexperienced pace unit. Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna are two pacers on the side, along with Nitish Kumar Reddy as the pace-bowling all-rounder. India have dropped Mohammed Siraj, which came as a surprise to many fans.
Was not playing Mohammed Siraj in 1st IND vs WI a big mistake by India?
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India won the toss and put West Indies to bat first on a pretty flat deck. The decision didn’t go well for them as both West Indian openers started the innings on a positive note. The Indian pace unit looked clueless with their line and lengths.
The Indian bowlers looked under pressure and have failed to execute their plans. That is where Mohammed Siraj could have been a better choice. Did India miss the trick by not playing him? So far, it looks pretty evident. Siraj has excellent numbers against West Indies. He has taken nine wickets in six matches at an average of 23.33 and an economy rate of 4.28.
Indian bowlers are struggling badly, and West Indies have taken the full toll at that. After the end of the first powerplay of ten overs, West Indies reached 85/0.
Siraj has been in such situations many times across formats and has delivered time and time again. But sitting him out in the first game seems a tactical failure by India and management.
Will India have to pay for it? The time will tell. But so far, India have not looked comfortable with the current bowling unit as they should have been. The selected bowling unit has also not helped either.
Who won the toss in the first IND vs WI ODI?
Team India won the toss and elected to bowl first in the 1st IND vs WI ODI.
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