India a win away from creating historic ODI first in 39 years in West Indies

The Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian side are on the cusp of creating history. With the series already in their bag due to thrilling last-over victories in the first two ODIs of the series, Team India now has a chance to inflict a whitewash on West Indies for the first time in their own backyard. Since they started playing bilateral ODI series in West Indies in 1983, India have never managed to whitewash the two-time ODI World Cup champions in a series comprising three or more matches. They have clean swept West Indies in India earlier this year but if they manage to win the third and final ODI at the Queen's Park Oval on Wednesday then it will be their first ODI series sweep in the Caribbean islands.

Overall this will be India's 13th clean sweep in an ODI series. And a victory on Wednesday will also mark India's first away series whitewash apart from Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. India have won all matches of an ODI series thrice in Zimbabwe - 2013, 2015, and 2016 - and once in Sri Lanka - in 2017.

India's win in the third and final ODI will also mean it will be their first double whitewash against a team in a calendar year. Only twice before a team has registered two ODI series whitewashes against an opponent in a calendar year. Zimbabwe had done it against Bangladesh in 2001 (At home by 4-0 and in Kenya by 3-0) and Bangladesh had inflicted the same against Kenya in 2006 (3-0 at home and away both).

India already created a world record on Sunday by sealing their 12th consecutive series win in the ODI format against the West Indies -- the most against a team.

In this backdrop, head coach Rahul Dravid might be tempted to try out some of his reserve players but he will have to maintain a fine balance between keeping the momentum and testing his bench strength.

West Indies' awful record

West Indies have suffered 22 whitewashes in ODIs and seven of them have been at home - which is the third most after Zimbabwe (18) and Bangladesh (10). They were blanked 0-3 in their last ODI assignment at home against Bangladesh.

West Indies rising in unwanted list

Moreover, 25 times West Indies have been on the verge of whitewash in bilateral ODI series (No wins before the last

match of the series) but only three times they have been able to avoid a defeat in the last match of the series.