West Indies head coach Daren Sammy believes the upcoming three-match ODI series against India will provide his side with a valuable opportunity to assess its progress and build momentum ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup qualifiers. The series gets underway on Sunday, September 27, at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, marking the beginning of a tour that includes three ODIs and five T20Is at venues across India. For Sammy, the ODI leg carries added significance. West Indies have not won a bilateral ODI series in India for 24 years, and the coach wants his players to embrace the challenge of facing one of the world’s leading teams in home conditions.

“It’s been 24 years, we’ve not won a series here in India,” Sammy said ahead of the opening ODI. “So it’s a great opportunity for us as a team to come out here and challenge ourselves and measure ourselves as to where we are in ODIs.” He added that the series would give the team an opportunity to demonstrate its ability against strong opposition while pursuing a historic series victory. The three matches are also part of West Indies’ preparations for the ODI World Cup qualifiers, which are scheduled for February. The Caribbean side missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup after finishing outside the required top eight, with co-hosts South Africa already assured of a place.

West Indies currently sit 10th and cannot make up the qualification deficit through the India series alone. As a result, they will have to navigate the qualifiers for a third consecutive time in order to reach the World Cup. Sammy sees the challenge against India as an important benchmark before that campaign begins. “If you have to win a major ICC event, especially in the white-ball format, you have to beat India,” he said. “Playing them here at home, in their conditions, and performing well and winning gives us a fair idea as to what we could do as a team and how capable we are of competing on the world stage.”

He said the primary objective over the coming months would be to continue developing the squad and ensure it is ready for the qualifiers. While West Indies ultimately fell short of automatic qualification, Sammy believes the team has made significant progress. He pointed to the reduction in the points gap as evidence of the strides made by the side in recent years. “The reality of the situation is that we’ve not made it,” Sammy said. “However, if we have to look back at where we were and what we’ve been able to achieve as an ODI team, we’ve made some strides.” According to Sammy, West Indies were once around 19 or 20 points away from automatic qualification but reduced that gap to six points. He also highlighted the growing number of players capable of producing match-winning performances.

Shai Hope is no longer the only West Indies batter regularly producing major scores, with Amir Jangoo among those to have made an impact. Sammy also pointed to the emergence of Sherfane Rutherford, while fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has returned to form after helping Antigua secure the CPL title. “Shai Hope is not the only one scoring hundreds. We’ve gotten hundreds from different players,” Sammy said. “Amir Jangoo, the way he’s played, we’ve seen a glimpse of Sherfane. I think in 2024-25, we were looking for that type of form.” Sammy intends to use the three ODIs to assess as many players as possible while continuing to build depth within the squad.

One of the most encouraging developments has been the emergence of 19-year-old wristspinner Vitel Lawes. After making his ODI debut against New Zealand in July, Lawes claimed eight wickets in five matches and quickly established himself as an intriguing option in the bowling attack. Sammy believes the youngster’s emergence is the result of a deliberate development process. “Vitel, to me, he’s a find for us,” Sammy said. “What we saw in him that caused him to debut against New Zealand was all part of the planning and the processes we put in place.”

The coach has long stressed the importance of developing a quality wristspinner for the West Indies, and he believes Lawes has already made an impact despite his limited international experience. “He came in and immediately had an impact on the bowling unit for us,” Sammy said. “He’s still got a long way to go, but we will continue with his development through either playing games or the specific work we’ve put in place for him.” Lawes has also benefited from working with former West Indies spinner Nikita Miller and former fast bowler Ravi Rampaul during the current tour.

“He’s worked really well with Nikita Miller and Ravi Rampaul here on tour,” Sammy added. “We’ll continue creating those opportunities for him and hopefully he can continue to grow. It’s a little bit fast-tracked, but we’re pleased with what he’s done so far.” With the World Cup qualifiers approaching, Sammy will be hoping the India series provides further evidence of West Indies’ progress while giving the team valuable experience against high-quality opposition in challenging conditions.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)