INDvsWI

India and West Indies head to Mullanpur for the third ODI of the West Indies tour of India on October 3, 2026, with the visitors looking to respond after India’s commanding start to the series. India have won the first two matches, but the contest has still offered enough evidence that West Indies can ask questions, especially with the bat. After a controlled chase in Thiruvananthapuram and a remarkable run-fest in Guwahati, the series now moves to Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium for what will be an important test of which side adapts quickest to a new venue in ODI cricket.

Conditions & Venue

There is very little established ODI history to work with at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur. With no recent ODI sample at the ground, this match carries an added layer of intrigue because both sides will be reading conditions in real time rather than leaning on a clear pattern of scores, chase trends or pace-versus-spin returns.

That uncertainty makes the early assessment especially important. In a series that has already produced two successful chases by India, batting second has worked well for them, but those results came in very different scoring environments. India overhauled 295 in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2026, and then went one better in Guwahati on September 30, 2026, chasing 406 with eight wickets in hand. Those games underline how quickly batting conditions can shape the match narrative, and both teams will know that adapting to the surface in the first half of the innings could be decisive.

Because there is no ODI trend line available for Mullanpur itself, the emphasis may fall less on preconceived strategy and more on execution: reading pace off the pitch, managing the middle overs, and responding faster than the opposition once the surface reveals its character.

Team Form & Head-to-Head

India come into the game with three wins in their last five ODIs and with clear batting momentum in this series. The two victories over West Indies have been especially emphatic in the chase. They reached 300 for 2 in pursuit of 295 in the opening ODI, then produced an even more striking effort by hunting down 405 in Guwahati. Even stretching back to the England series in July 2026, India’s results suggest a side capable of winning in different ways: they chased 258 at Edgbaston on July 14, 2026, but also showed in the loss at Lord’s on July 19, 2026 that their batting can still push deep into a high-scoring contest.

West Indies have lost four of their last five ODIs, but their batting in this series has been far more competitive than that record alone suggests. They posted 295 for 7 in Thiruvananthapuram and then lifted that sharply to 405 for 7 in Guwahati. That improvement matters. It shows a side that has found more fluency against India’s attack, even if they have not yet converted those runs into a result. Their lone win in this five-match sequence came against New Zealand at Bridgetown on July 22, 2026, where they completed a chase of 269, so there is at least some recent evidence that they can close out pressure moments.

The recent head-to-head record tilts towards India. They have won three of the last four ODIs between the sides since 2023, including both matches in the current series. What stands out most from those meetings is the contrast in match styles. The 2023 encounters at Bridgetown were lower-scoring and more bowler-driven, while the 2026 games in India have been dominated by batting, particularly from top-order players on both sides. That shift gives this third ODI an interesting edge: if Mullanpur offers a fresh kind of surface, which team adjusts more smoothly?

Players to Watch

Shubman Gill has been the central figure of the series. India’s captain followed 110 in Thiruvananthapuram with a stunning 223 in Guwahati, an innings that defined the chase of 406. Beyond the scale of those scores, what stands out is how comfortably he has matched up against the West Indies attack. He has scored freely against Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph and Roston Chase in these meetings, and his control at the top has given India a stable platform as well as acceleration.

Rohit Sharma has added another layer to India’s top order. His 101 off 75 balls in Guwahati complemented Gill perfectly and reinforced the attacking tone India have been able to set in the powerplay. With Virat Kohli having already made 139 off 88 balls in the first ODI, India’s biggest strength at the moment is the sheer weight of runs available in their top order. That has left West Indies chasing wickets rather than controlling phases of the innings.

For India with the ball, Kuldeep Yadav remains the key disruptor. He took 4 for 40 in the first ODI and also has a strong head-to-head record against this opposition, including a 4-wicket burst in Bridgetown in 2023. His contest with Shai Hope is especially notable: Hope has scored only 31 runs off 52 balls against Kuldeep while being dismissed three times. In a West Indies batting unit that has shown it can score heavily, Kuldeep’s role in the middle overs could be pivotal again.

West Indies, meanwhile, will draw confidence from the form of their own top order. Shai Hope made 104 in Guwahati and continues to be the anchor around whom their innings is built. John Campbell has given them strong starts with 62 and 101 in the first two games, while Amir Jangoo has been one of the most encouraging stories of the series, making 58 and 114. Those contributions are significant not only because of the runs themselves, but because they suggest West Indies are not relying on a single batter to carry the innings.

Gudakesh Motie could be an important figure if the Mullanpur surface offers any help to slower bowling. While he went wicketless in the opening ODI of this series, his earlier returns against India in 2023 were much stronger, including a three-wicket haul in Bridgetown. He also arrives with a five-wicket performance against New Zealand in July 2026, which underlines his ability to influence an ODI when conditions allow him to settle into long spells.

Final Word

The third ODI sets up as a contest between India’s relentless chasing strength and West Indies’ search for enough control with the ball to protect good batting work. India have looked the more complete side through two matches, powered by a top order in exceptional touch and a proven wicket-taking option in Kuldeep Yadav. West Indies, though, have batted well enough to stay relevant, especially in Guwahati, and that gives them a base to compete if they can tighten key passages of the innings.

With no meaningful ODI history at Mullanpur, adaptability may matter as much as form. A strong start from the top order, sharper middle-overs control, and the ability to turn pressure back on the opposition after the first 10 overs are likely to shape the result. After two batting-heavy games, the move to a new venue gives this finale a fresh tactical feel.