India vs West Indies ODIs: A man-to-man comparison

While the likes of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah will be missing the entire tour, the likes of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh karthik and R Ashwin will be back only for the shortest format.

Read AlsoWith bilateral ODIs fighting for context, India's fringe players to battle against West Indies

India's fringe players will get valuable game time in a format fighting for context when Shikhar Dhawan leads the team in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, beginning on Friday.

But even in the absence of high-profile players, Team India will be a force to reckon with. The bench strength it possesses has been tested in the past and more often than not they have passed with flying colors. It will also be interesting to see how coach Rahul Dravid manages the team alongside Dhawan during the one-dayers. With the ODI series starting on Friday, TimesofIndia.com here takes a look how the two teams stack up, man to man, in a few departments: The openers - Shikhar Dhawan vs Shai Hope

When it comes to opening the innings in ODIs, Shikhar Dhawan has been one of the best in the world over the last few years. He last played a Test match in 2018 and a T20I in July 2021, but ODIs still remain a stronghold for the veteran Indian batter. One of the most experienced batters in the Indian line-up, Dhawan will play a key role in the ODIs against West Indies. With other senior players missing out, the responsibility will be on Dhawan to anchor the Indian innings and play with maturity, which he is well known for. Although the left-hander looked a bit rusty in the England ODI series, he will look to make quick amends as he gears up for a tough challenge, both as opener and captain. With a total of 6,325