IND vs WI: 3rd T20I Preview – Experimental India seek clean sweep

West Indies will come out to save their pride and evade consecutive clean-sweeps against India when they take the field on February 20 in the third and final T20I of the series. The visitors came close to opening their account in the previous game after four failed attempts but were dealt with a similar fate as India’s disciplined death bowling after the batters did their job well snatched the win away. 

They gave India some scare with some clean and powerful striking of Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell, whose quickfire sixties kept their team until the very end in a 187-run chase. However, the visitors were left eight runs short after an impeccable four-run penultimate over by Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave Harshal Patel 25 to defend, which he did. While Powell threatened to do what Caribbean batters are known to do best (read: hitting sixes for fun), Patel held his nerves to ensure the series was sealed at the earliest.

West Indies, if anything, will be pleased about managing to put India under some pressure and give at least some evidence of fight after a rather one-sided ODI series that they conceded 0-3. While no doubt the final affair will be a dead rubber on paper, it is still an international game both teams would want to use for searching answers before the T20 World Cup that is not too far away. 

Team News

India

The hosts played an unchanged combination in the second game after taking a 1-0 lead, however, it is all but certain that India will make at least two changes, with Virat Kohl and Rishabh Pant released out of the team bubble. India might also want to try a few other options as the series is already sealed. 

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal/Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi

West Indies

West Indies are unlikely to change after they welcomed Jason Holder at the expense of Fabian Allen in the last game.

Predicted XI: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard (c), Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Sheldon Cottrell

Match Details

India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I

Venue: Eden Gardens. Kolkata

Date & Time: February 20th, 7:00 PM IST

Live Streaming: Star Sports Network