IND v WI, 1st ODI: Hooda debuts as India win toss and elect to bowl first

Ahmedabad, Feb 6 (IANS) All-rounder Deepak Hooda became the 243rd Men's ODI cricketer for India as the hosts won the toss and elected to bowl first in the series opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Sunday. The match also marks India's landmark 1000th appearance in the ODI format.After winning the toss, captain Rohit Sharma said, "Looks like a good pitch, wouldn't change a lot. Will get better to bat under the lights. I am happy to be back, playing for India, good to be back on the field. It's been a couple of months since I played cricket. We had a few positive COVID cases, so we have some new faces. I need to take Deepak Hooda's name especially, because he's making his debut."Talking about India reaching a landmark occasion of 1,000 ODIs, Sharma remarked, "It's a historic day in Indian cricket, been a long journey for India. We have seen a lot of ups and downs. As a team we have grown over the years, and we'll continue to do that."West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard said veteran pacer Kemar Roach is in the playing eleven along with Darren Bravo and Fabian Allen. "There are a couple of changes in the team, Roach and Allen are back. Darren hasn't played a game since last July, so it's an exciting phase for few of these guys."Pollard felt it will be important to adjust to the conditions quickly. "We have to assess the conditions and bat well. We have come out well and bring out the results. The guys have to adapt to different scenarios. We had a series a few days ago, so we need some mental adjustment. We need to bat long and rotate the strike."Playing XIs:India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal and Prasidh Krishna.West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (wicketkeeper), Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard (captain), Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach.
--IANSnr/akm

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