DESPITE facing adversity during their tour of the Caribbean, Ireland can win the three-match One Day International (ODI) series with a victory in the third and final match at Sabina Park in Jamaica. The match bowls off at 10.30 am, TT time, on Sunday.

The second and third ODIs were postponed after the Irish squad were depleted because of covid19 cases and injuries. A one-off T20 match was cancelled.

Ireland squared the series 1-1 with a five-wicket win on the Duckworth-Lewis method in the rescheduled second ODI, on Thursday.

West Indies won the first ODI by 24 runs, on January 8.

'If it came down to that tomorrow night and we ended up having won the series I think it will be special for a number of reasons,' Ireland captain Paul Stirling said on Zoom, on Saturday.

'I was really proud of the guys after the last win…with all that's going on it was really impressive. I think it shows a lot of things that maybe we don't see in the public eye. It shows how together we are as a unit, I think it shows that we don't have a soft underbelly (and) we are prepared to put the yards in.'

Stirling said winning on Sunday with all the obstacles facing the team will make the series a memorable one.

'If we are to go on and win it you are right it would be extra special because we are missing first-team players and in the past if it was three or four missing from the first team we would have said, 'Jeez we are really under the pump here, not sure we have got that amount in the tank in the outskirts, in the squad.' It shows that we actually are starting to get some depth.'

West Indies captain Kieron Pollard said his team would consider making adjustments to the batting order as the batting has failed to deliver in the series.

West Indies vice captain Shai Hope, who also spoke on Zoom, said everyone must be willing to play different roles.

'I think it is very important for every single batter especially to have an open mind, so if anything has to come up and we do have to change our positions then we are ready to do the task,' Hope said.

Hope said the Windies players know how valuable every match is towards 2023 World Cup 50-over qualification.

'I think that every single player in the dressing room, even the management and staff, we know that every single game is like a final…each game is worth ten points and it is very crucial leading up to the World Cup, so we have to play every single game hard as if we want to win.'

The post West Indies, Ireland lock horns in ODI decider appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.