India all-rounder Naman Dhir has said he expects 290-300 to be a competitive total on the New Chandigarh pitch when India face West Indies in the third ODI at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, October 3. The series is already sealed 2-0 in India’s favour, making the third match a dead rubber, but Dhir indicated the team is still focused on performance.
New Chandigarh pitch has traditionally favoured batters, and the second ODI in Guwahati was a high-scoring affair, with 811 runs scored across 93.3 overs. While another obnoxiously high-scoring game may not take centre stage, Dhir believes that there will be enough help for the batters to touch the 300-mark. The third ODI will also be the first men’s ODI hosted at the newly built venue, adding significance to the occasion.
“I haven’t seen the wicket yet, so I can’t assess it at the moment. Maybe 290–300 can be a good score,” Naman Dhir told reporters on the eve of the series finale, as quoted by Revsportz.
How does India plan to improve with the ball after the Guwahati ODI?
India’s bowling unit came under pressure in the second ODI in Guwahati, where West Indies scored 405/7. John Campbell scored 101, Shai Hope made 104 and Amir Jangoo contributed 114 as the visitors put up a massive total. India’s bowlers conceded heavily, and Dhir acknowledged the need to do better up next. On his own bowling, the Punjab-born noted that he had not bowled during the IPL but had kept himself ready.
“As a bowling unit, we want to do better. We want to restrict the West Indies early. We leaked a lot of runs in the last match. Our fast bowlers will be handy in South Africa, given the bounce. I didn’t bowl in the IPL, but I did bowl in the Sher-E-Punjab League. I worked on my bowling during the IPL as well,” the youngster revealed.
What is Naman Dhir’s expected batting role for the third ODI?
The third ODI also carries personal significance for the all-rounder, as New Chandigarh is his home ground. He has no fixed batting position in the current India setup and has shown he can contribute across the order. He batted at No. 7 during the IPL, but he indicated he is comfortable adapting to whatever role Indian team requires in a given match.
“There are no fixed plans for batting. There will not be a lot of technical changes. I batted at No. 7 in the IPL as well, so I guess I can bat in the top order and in the lower order as well. I will keep it very simple while playing on my home ground. I am very grateful for it,” Dhir reflected.
The third and final ODI will be a dead rubber contest with the Men in Blue already 2-0 up in the series.
