Shikhar Dhawan is expected to return as India aims for a 3-0 series victory.

The hosts take on a damaged West Indies team in the third and final match of the current ODI series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, hoping to clinch their first-ever series sweep under full-time skipper Rohit Sharma.

India has not been clinical, but they have outclassed the West Indies by comfortable margins in the opening two One-Day Internationals. For the first time in the ODI series, Rohit Sharma was named India’s full-time ODI captain. And the skipper acquitted himself admirably in the first round.

In the first ODI, India showed off their bowling abilities by dismissing the West Indies for 176 runs and defended a below-par total of 237 in the second ODI on Wednesday in Ahmedabad. The second ODI saw Rohit manage his bowling unit well and set aggressive fields to put pressure on West Indies.

The ODI on Friday is a dead rubber, but it gives India another chance to put their bench strength to the test. Ruturaj Gaikwad returned from Covid isolation on Thursday, but he is unlikely to make the XI for the third ODI, as Rohit Sharma announced that Shikhar Dhawan, who recovered from Covid earlier this week, will open.

It also indicates that India’s ‘Rishabh Pant experiment’ at the top would be put on hold. In the first ODI, India started with Ishan Kishan, and in the second ODI, despite the return of KL Rahul, they started with Pant, which raised a few eyebrows. Pant did not take advantage of the occasion as he left for 18.

While vice-captain Rahul is likely to bat at No. 4, Pant is expected to take over as the finisher. Both Rohit and Virat Kohli failed in the second ODI, and India will need strong performances from both if they are to score a commanding total in the series decider, assuming they bat first.

“We’ll get Shikhar back for the next game, and he’ll need some game time before then. It isn’t always about the outcomes. We wanted to give it a go in one game “Rohit has stated previously.