Darren Sammy targets first West Indies ODI series win in India since 2002
Darren Sammy said he wants West Indies to end a 24-year wait for an ODI series victory in India as his side start a three-match series against Shubman Gill's India in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Sammy, the West Indies head coach and two-time T20 World Cup-winning former captain, made the comments ahead of the first ODI.
West Indies last won an ODI series in India in 2002 when Carl Hooper captained a side that included Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels. The touring team enter the series ranked 10th in ODIs. "It's been 24 years, we've not won a series here in India," Sammy said ahead of the first ODI on Sunday.
Sammy framed the series as a chance to test the side's standing in the 50-over format and to give players opportunities. "It's a great opportunity for us as a team to come out here and challenge ourselves and measure up ourselves as to where we are in ODIs. It's a great opportunity for us, the players that we have, to come and put in a good show against India and look to win a series, something we've not done in 24 years," the two-time T20 World Cup-winning former captain added.
On recent progress, Sammy pointed to strides made by the ODI unit when reflecting on the team's development. "If we have to look back as to where we were and what we've been able to achieve as an ODI team, we've made some strides," he said. Shai Hope is the most experienced batter in the current squad, holding 19 ODI centuries.
Sammy highlighted contributions from other players when discussing match-winning potential. "Shai Hope is not the only one scoring hundreds. We've gotten hundreds from different players. Amir Jangoo, the way he's played, we've seen a glimpse of Sherfane (Rutherford). I think in 2024-2025, we were looking for that type of form," Sammy said.
Pace bowling will be led by Alzarri Joseph, who arrives after helping Antigua win the Caribbean Premier League title, and Sammy said he plans to rotate the squad across the three fixtures. "Alzarri Joseph is back bowling well, just helped Antigua win a CPL title. So yes, we want to give everybody an opportunity in those three games," Sammy said.
Sammy also singled out 19-year-old wrist-spinner Vitel Lawes as a recent discovery who has already had an impact since his international introduction. "Vitel, to me, he's a find for us. 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. You've heard me for years talking about a wrist-spinner in the West Indies team," Sammy said. "He came in and he immediately had an impact on the bowling unit for us. 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. He's worked really well with Nikita Miller (spin bowling coach) and Ravi Rampaul here on tour."
West Indies will attempt to combine the experience of players such as Shai Hope with the form of recent contributors across the three-match series that begins in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday as they seek an ODI series win in India for the first time since 2002.