Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, Sep 15 : Hello and welcome to the 1st unofficial ODI. This series is a chance for youngsters on both teams to do well and come in the reckoning for their National teams. For India, all eyes will be on Yuvraj Singh who is playing competitive cricket for the first time after returning from France, where he had been to improve his physical fitness. As for West Indies, the likes of Andre Russel who had a good CPL will be looking to get back into the the senior team.

Match Preview :

Out of favour Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh would be the cynosure of all eyes when he captains India A in the unofficial ODI series against the West Indies A starting on Sunday, 15th September 2013 in Bangalore. India A are a team on a roll after the clean-sweep against New Zealand A. The glory of thrashing New Zealand A 3-0 was achieved under the captaincy of Unmukt Chand, but all eyes, now will be trained on how Yuvraj handles the team as a captain and his contributions as an all-rounder will be crucial as he attempts to make a comeback to the national side.

Yuvraj aside, India A has its share of stars. Unmukt scored 164 runs at an average of 48 with 94 being his highest in the three ODIs against New Zealand A, while Robin Uthappa also scored a century in the lung-opener. The Under-19 World Cup-winning captain will look for another good showing with the bat to help his team get off to a good start. Uthappa will also be hoping to produce another sparkling show after the opening ODI ton to catch the eyes of national selectors, given that a limited overs series against West Indies and South Africa is in sight.

Apart from Unmukt and Uthappa, Yuvraj will be hoping for the likes of Kedar Jadhav and Mandeep Singh, who came good in the last two ODIs against New Zealand A, to rise up to the occasion again. Also present in the line-up is Yusuf Pathan, who has been provided another lifeline by selectors and he will will hope to recover from his steep fall since the 2011 World Cup.

In Irfan Pathan and Praveen Kumar's absence, both of whom were ruled out due to injuries, R Vinay Kumar will lead India A's bowling attack. Vinay Kumar and Siddharth Kaul have been drafted into the India A team in place of Praveen and Irfan. Irfan was earlier ruled out of the team for the tri-series in the Caribbean due to a hamstring injury. Jaydev Unadkat, who did well during India's tour of Zimbabwe, will aim to continue using this series to put out his best and make a strong case for himself in the senior team. Leg-spinner Rahul Sharma and left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem will man the spin department and the pair will have a key role to play.

The West Indies A, who performed well during their home series against Sri Lanka A in June, will be hoping to use this series as a learning experience and get used to the sub-continent conditions. A number of young West Indian players will try to grab the opportunity to showcase their skills, especially with the senior team set to tour India next month. Kieran Powell, one of the players looking to formalise his place in the senior side, has been handed the reins of captaincy and head coach Junior Bennett has high hopes from the left-handed opener.

Besides Powell, the side for the three 50-over contests and the one Twenty20 game includes the likes of vice-captain Veerasammy Permaul, Andre Russell, Andre Fletcher, Devon Thomas, Kirk Edwards, Nikita Miller and Narsingh Deonarine, all of whom have featured in the senior team.

Teams:

India A (From): Yuvraj Singh(c), Naman Ojha(w), Baba Aparajith, Unmukt Chand, Kedar Jadhav, Mandeep Singh, Shahbaz Nadeem, Sumit Narwal, Yusuf Pathan, Rahul Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Robin Uthappa, Siddarth Kaul, Vinay Kumar

West Indies A (From): Kieran Powell(c), Devon Thomas(w), Veerasammy Permaul, Ronsford Beaton, Nkruma Bonner, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cotterrell, Miguel Cummins, Narsingh Deonarine, Kirk Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Leon Johnson, Nikita Miller, Ashley Nurse, Andre Russell