The three ODIs will be played in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, Guwahati on September 30, and New Chandigarh on October 3.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sammy acknowledged the significance of facing India in their own conditions, saying the series would offer a clear indication of where his side stands in world cricket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cPlaying in India is always a great series to take part in. India being the number one team,\u201d Sammy said in a clip shared by Cricket West Indies ahead of the ODI series against India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cFor us to come out here, it\u2019s been 24 years; we\u2019ve not won a series here in India. So it\u2019s a great opportunity for us as a team to come out here and challenge ourselves and measure up to where we are in the world in one-day cricket,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
West Indies have made progress during the ODI qualification cycle but fell six points short of automatic qualification. They will have to take part in the qualifiers next year. Sammy said the team had come a long way from being significantly behind in the standings. \u201cStarting from where we were back then, which was, I think, 19 or 20 points behind, and accumulating those points, I thought we made a lot of strides in making a claim to automatic qualification,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The India series will also allow West Indies to assess players ahead of the qualifiers, with Sammy stressing the importance of giving the squad opportunities to perform in different roles. \u201cHeading into the qualifiers in February, our number one focus is continuing to fine-tune the team so that when we go to the qualifiers, we put ourselves in a position to book our ticket to South Africa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sammy highlighted the progress made by the batting unit, with Shai Hope and Keacy Carty forming an important partnership, while other players have also contributed with hundreds. \u201cOur batting has come a long way during this period. Shai Hope is not the only one scoring hundreds. We\u2019ve gotten hundreds from different players,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The coach also pointed to the return of Alzarri Joseph, who was part of Antigua\u2019s CPL title-winning campaign, while young players including Jewel Andrew are set to get opportunities. \u201cEverybody will be getting an opportunity. Because after that, I think this is probably our last ODI series. It is our last ODI series of the year,\u201d Sammy said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The West Indies ODI squad, led by Hope, includes John Campbell, who returns after missing the final two ODIs against New Zealand due to a hamstring injury. Jewel Andrew replaces Ackeem Auguste, who is recovering after surgery, while Shimron Hetmyer has been rested from the ODI leg and will join the team for the T20Is.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The coach also pointed to the return of Alzarri Joseph, who was part of Antigua\u2019s CPL title-winning campaign, while young players including Jewel Andrew are set to get opportunities. \u201cEverybody will be getting an opportunity. Because after that, I think this is probably our last ODI series. It is our last ODI series of the year,\u201d Sammy said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The West Indies squad departed the Caribbean on September 21 and arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on September 23 ahead of the opening ODI.<\/p>\r\n\r\n