Indian cricket will enter a new era from Sunday with Rohit Sharma beginning his tenure as full-time ODI captain in the three-match series against the West Indies.
Sharma replaced Virat Kohli as the white-ball leader of the team with an eye on the T20 World Cup this year and the 2023 50-over World Cup. However, a hamstring injury ruled out the 34-year-old from India's recent tour of South Africa, where they lost the Test series 2-1 and were whitewashed 3-0 in ODIs by an inexperienced Proteas side.
However, captain Sharma ruled out drastic changes following Kohli's departure and the defeats in South Africa ahead of India's 1,000th ODI in Ahmedabad.
"We have played good ODI cricket over the course of few years, more than four years actually, so suddenly a loss of series doesn't mean that there is panic," Sharma was quoted as saying by AFP.
"South Africa series was a great learning [experience] for us as to what we didn't do collectively as a team," he added. "What is important for us, moving forward, is the role clarity of certain individuals in the squad."
The hosts will be without key players for the first ODI with four players including Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer testing positive ahead of the limited-overs series.
Opening batsman Sharma said Ishan Kishan remains the only other opening choice in the first ODI, when India will become the first international team to play 1,000 50-over matches.
Sharma also said he wants to bring spin duo Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav back into the fold. Leg-spinner Chahal played the ODI series in South Africa but left-arm wrist spinner Yadav last played an international for India in July. After becoming a potent wicket-taking pair in the middle overs, both spinners fell off the radar after loss of form and the return of finger spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
"These two guys have been great performers for us in the past and they have certainly created an impact in those years whenever they have played together," he said.
"In the middle they were left out because of the combination we wanted to get... but it's certainly on my mind to get them back together, Kuldeep especially," he added.
India will face a tough challenge against the West Indies who are fresh from a 3-2 T20 win at home against England.
The Windies celebrated the series win after their disastrous T20 World Cup defence and a shock 50-overs series loss to Ireland. Fast bowler Kemar Roach has been recalled to Kieron Pollard's side and the spotlight will be on all-rounder Jason Holder, who took four wickets in four balls in the series-deciding T20 win over England.
