Pressure on India as they take on Windies in first one-dayer

Nagpur, Jan 20 (UNI) Team India will be aiming to rise from their ODI slump as they take on the West Indies in the first of the four-match ODI tournament at the Vidarbha Cricket Association ground here tomorrow.

The pressure would be on the home side to deliver as they set out to correct the recent spate of defeats to the Carribean side, having lost six of the last eight ODIs against them.

The home side will be without Virender Sehwag and would have a new opening pair in a bid to find the right combination before the World Cup in March.

They have in their ranks youngsters Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir along with comeback man Sourav Ganguly as well as master blaster Sachin Tendulkar.

It, however, remains to be seen who will open the innings though it looks certain that Ganguly would be given back his opening spot, where he has been most successful in this form of the game.

However, the absence of Yuvraj Singh in the middle order and the lean phase of skipper Rahul Dravid could mean that Tendulkar might bat at number four with Uthappa or Gambhir joining hands with Ganguly at the top.

Tendulkar batting at four would also help India utilise the middle overs which have been their bane in the last few matches and has led to their downfall more often then not.

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