West Indies tour of India 2026 | 3rd ODI | Preview and Predictions
Indian skipper Shubman Gill wrote his name in the record books as his unbeaten 223* saw India pull off their highest run chase in ODI history.
Gill and Rohit Sharma led the way to see India win the three-match series in the second game itself, and now Gill will be aiming for a whitewash in New Chandigarh.
For the third ODI between India and the West Indies, here we present our match preview and predictions.
IND v WI 2026 | 3rd ODI | 14:00 IST, October 3, 2026
India went in with another inexperienced bowling attack last time out, with Prasidh Krishna leading the seam department alongside debutant Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav were the frontline spinners along with Naman Dhir.
On a pitch that was a belter and gave nothing to the bowlers, India were taken apart, with Nabi having a horror start to his international career as he leaked 0/84 in 8.5 overs. The most experienced seamer, Krishna, also missed his lengths and was deposited to all parts of the Barsapara.
While the spinners did create some chances, with Jadeja and Yadav leaving with two wickets each, the hosts know that their bowling has been very ordinary this series, and with the experienced Mohammad Siraj on the bench, the question remains as to why he isn’t starting given the lack of experience and output on the ground. That said, with Krishna ruled out of the third ODI due to an injury, Siraj is expected to make a return to the playing XI.
As ordinary as their bowling was, India’s batting was beyond extraordinary. Even though the pitch might have been ideal for batting, chasing more than 400 is quite the uphill task on any given day and has only been achieved once in the history of ODI cricket.
Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma made sure India got the perfect start and put up an incredible 255-run opening stand, with both getting centuries. While Sharma failed to convert his big score to something even bigger, Gill made the most of his hundred and reached an unbeaten 223 to help the team ease to an eight-wicket win with more than six overs left!
Another positive for India was Ruturaj Gaikwad getting some time in the middle and seeing home the chase with Gill, giving the management a look at him in the absence of Shreyas Iyer.
The West Indies, meanwhile, were stellar with the bat. John Campbell demolished the Indian bowling unit, helping the team race to 147/1 in 18 overs. Once Campbell fell, captain Shai Hope and the impressive Amir Jangoo cashed in and took the score to 329 in 40 overs.
While the Indian spinners did pull things back in the final ten overs, the West Indies will know they could’ve got close to 430–440 if the middle and lower orders clicked.
With the ball, there was simply nothing from the visitors. Apart from Jayden Seales, who bowled his heart out, the other WI bowlers put up no threat to India. Even with 405 in the bank, after the opening 15 overs, it looked only a matter of time before India chased down the target.
Moving to New Chandigarh for the final ODI, the first thought on both teams’ minds will be that the pitch provides more of a contest between bat and ball.
This is set to be the first-ever men’s ODI to take place at the ground, which has largely been used for IPL games up until now. It is also another high-scoring ground with some zip in it for the quicks.
We hope there is a closer contest between bat and the ball, but we expect another high-scoring game, with the hosts expected to complete the white-wash.
Fantasy XI: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, John Campbell, Shai Hope, Virat Kohli (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Roston Chase, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Jayden Seales, Gudakesh Motie
Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
Winners Prediction: India
