IND vs WI 1st ODI: Naman Dhir makes India debut; Gill wins toss, opts to bowl

Naman Dhir debuts for India (Image: BCCI)

Naman Dhir makes his ODI debut for India after captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first against West Indies in the opening ODI of the series at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.Dhir has been handed his maiden ODI cap as India look to begin the three-match series with a win. The Indian team has also included Gurnoor Brar, while Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad and KL Rahul feature in the playing XI.Gill explained that India preferred to chase on what appeared to be a decent batting surface."We're gonna bowl first, looks like a decent surface. Will come better under the lights, so want to chase.

We have got a decent combination, four bowlers and two allrounders. 20-odd matches to go for the World Cup, so good for us to test the combination," Gill said after winning the toss.West Indies captain Shai Hope also said his side would have preferred to bowl first, expecting the surface to improve under lights."We are gonna bowl first, looks like a decent surface. Will come better under the lights, so want to chase," Hope said.

India vs West Indies 1st ODI: Playing XIs

India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (w), Naman Dhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh KrishnaWest Indies Playing XI: John Campbell, Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (w/c), Amir Jangoo, Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales

India opt to bowl despite batting-friendly pitch

The pitch report suggested that conditions could favour the batters at the Greenfield International Stadium.

The surface is made from black Mandya clay from neighbouring Karnataka and has a hard base with minimal grass covering. According to the pitch report, the hard surface should allow the ball to come onto the bat nicely, while the limited grass is expected to reduce lateral movement for the seamers.The square boundaries measure around 65 metres on either side, while the straight boundary is approximately 74 metres.The pitch is also expected to offer extra bounce because of the nature of the black clay. With little grass on the surface, the ball is expected to travel through to the bat rather than losing energy after pitching.