Long before Barsapara had floodlights, before the city had learned the vocabulary of international cricket, Guwahati had its gods, its hills, and its river. Kamakhya still looks down from Nilachal, Umananda sits improbably in the Brahmaputra, and the river continues its immense journey past them all. A day of cricket arrives here on Wednesday when India and the West Indies descend for the second ODI.
These two nations in an ODI fixture has twice marked a milestone in Guwahati’s cricket history.
In 1983, Nehru Stadium hosted the city’s first international match, marking Guwahati’s debut as an international cricket venue. India had just won the World Cup, but the West Indies was still the game’s sovereign. Richie Richardson made his ODI debut that day, entering a cricket world in which Caribbean supremacy remained largely unquestioned.
Thirty-five years later, in 2018, the city had acquired a new home for international cricket. Barsapara, the modern successor, hosted its first ODI. India had become a white-ball powerhouse, and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma scored centuries as the host chased down 323. The West Indies, once the team everyone else sought to catch, was now trying to keep pace.
Guwahati is now an IPL venue, another marker of its growing place in Indian cricket. India sits atop the ODI rankings. The West Indies, however, has missed direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup and must play the qualifiers for a third successive time. Denied the ideal start in Thiruvananthapuram, it will look to recover here and keep alive its bid to end a 24-year wait for a bilateral ODI series win in India.
There were signs of promise in Thiruvananthapuram. Justin Greaves and John Campbell, the West Indies’ fourth different opening combination in its last five ODIs, put together a 135-run stand. Greaves scored his maiden ODI century, while Campbell and Amir Jangoo made half-centuries. The bowling and fielding, however, need inspiration.
There is a certain ease to a team that knows where it stands. India seems to have it. Shubman Gill is the world’s top-ranked ODI batter and is in sublime form. Kohli looks liberated. There is a new aggression to his batting, an almost extravagant intent. Kuldeep Yadav’s return to the playing XI and his rhythm with the ball offered a timely reminder of his quality ahead of next year’s World Cup. Prasidh Krishna spoke of clarity within the team. India’s decision to forgo practice on Tuesday seemed another expression of that assurance.
Published on Sep 29, 2026
