Navdeep Saini has replaced Deepak Chahar to make his One-Day International debut in the series-deciding third match between India and the West Indies at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday.

We have a debutant in the house! Navdeep Saini will make his ODI debut in Cuttack. 👏👏#INDvWI #TeamIndia @paytm pic.twitter.com/jaEA6PVe7x

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 22, 2019

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Saini had made his international debut against the same opponent in a Twenty-20 International (T20I) match in August earlier this year during India’s tour of the West Indies. He made an impressive debut and returned with a figure of 3/17.

He also bowled a maiden over and become only the second international cricketer, after Singapore’s Janak Prakash, to register a wicket-maiden in the 20th over of a T20I match.

Chahar was dropped since he “felt mild pain in his lower back” after the second ODI in Visakhapatnam which was won by India by 107 runs to level the series.

In the two matches of the series so far, Chahar had only taken a single wicket after bowling 17 overs and leaking 92 runs.

IND vs WI 3rd ODI: Match Preview

After getting whitewashed in their own backyard, West Indies have come hard against India and played all the matches on equal footing. The Kieron Pollard-led side were fiercely competitive in the Twenty-20 International (T20I) series and are displaying the same intent in the One-Day International (ODI) series as well.

The Windies batting unit, led by the likes of Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmeyer, Nicholas Pooran and Pollard himself, have been the fighting force for the team from the Caribbean islands. They will be hoping to put on display the best of their skills in the last match to win a memorable series.

The wickets used the four matches, three T20Is and the two ODIs, have had very little to offer to the bowlers and as a result, the visiting bowlers are yet to put on display their best bowling ability. But they have done a commendable job, given the opponent is the one best batting side of the world.

For India, much has come into the light that needs to be assessed before next year’s T20 World Cup. One thing that has been a long headache for team management is the middle-order woe. Every time the top-order collapse, team India tend to lose the match eventually.

After losing the first match, the Men in Blue bounced back riding on a stupendous display from the openers, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, who put up a 227-run partnership.

The ODI series has also given India’s middle-order headache a much-needed relief.  While Shreyas Iyer has already established himself as the number four, Rishabh Pant is also coming to the terms after a rough phase.

The Indian bowlers also seemed to have raised their ante after a mediocre display in the first ODI. Mohammed Shami led the pace battery with example and Kuldeep Yadav has hit the form again as he became only the second Indian to take two ODI hat-tricks.