'They didn't make same mistake they made in SA': Sehwag credits 2 Indian stars for showing 'great composure' in 1st ODI

The middle-order pair of Suryakumar Yadav and debutant Deepak Hooda combined to weave 62-run stand as India chased down the target of 177 in just 28 overs.

One of the key area of concern that surfaced after India's forgettable 3-0 whitewash in South Africa was the lack of intent from the middle-order batters. Thankfully that was not the case in the series opener against West Indies as pointed out by former India cricketer Virender Sehwag, who credited two Indian stars for showing "great composure" during the 177-run chase in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Indian cricket team; Virender Sehwag

After an impressive start to the chase with the opening pair of captain Rohit Sharma and young Ishan Kishan stitching an 84-run stand, India lost three wickets in quick intervals. But the middle-order pair of Suryakumar Yadav and debutant Deepak Hooda combined to weave a 62-run stand as India chased down the target in just 28 overs.

Speaking in a video shared on his Instagram handle, Sehwag admitted that he felt West Indies would be back into the game after the three quick dismissals - Rohit, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant - but hailed Hooda and Suryakumar for not making the same mistake India did in the ODI series against South Africa last month.

"Rishabh Pant was unlucky. Very rarely it happens that a batter hits a perfect straight drive and the non-striker gets run out because of it. At this juncture, it seemed West Indies would make a comeback, as India's middle-order is inexperienced."

"Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Hooda showcased great composure and finished off the game, which we did not see in South Africa from our middle-order and lower middle-order batters," said the former India opener batter.

Sehwag was also effusive in his praise for Rohit, who made a comeback to international cricket after over two months, and did not just lead the team to a victory in their historic 1000th ODI match but also contributed with the bat, scoring 60 off 51.

"Rohit Sharma, who missed the South Africa tour due to injury, has made a brilliant comeback. While India won the match under his captaincy, he also contributed significantly with that bat," he said.

The second ODI will be played on February 9 in Ahmedabad.