After cyclone Hudhud deprived India of attaining the No. 1 ranking in ODIs, as the 3rd ODI between India and West Indies was abandoned in view of cyclone threat at Visakhapatnam, the focus now shifts to the picturesque cricket ground in Dharamsala which is the highest international venue in India.
Now, the series having been reduced to four matches and both the teams having won one game each, the last two ODIs have become very crucial. Also it is to be noted that these ODIs are the last home games for the men in blue before the 2015 World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand. It remains to be seen whether India would try out their bench strength with exciting prospect like Kuldeep Yadav waiting in the wings. There is also a case for Akshar Patel and Murli Vijay to be tested before the World Cup.
With some snow in the northern hills, the weather in Dharamsala has become cold. Maximum and minimum temperatures would record close to 24 and 12°C respectively. In the evening there will be a nip in the air. There are good chances of dew formation during the night.
The toss will play a crucial role as the captain winning the toss would like to bowl first as gripping the bowl will become hard once it gets wet. And the cold conditions during late evening will make fielding difficult. As far as the pitch is concerned the Dharamsala pitch is the bounciest in India and will therefore help seam bowling. The pitch will also aid the spinners in getting extra bounce. The outfield is lush green and quick and hence batsmen will enjoy stroke making.
