WI vs IND: 1st T20I Preview – Team India’s Caribbean conquest begins
The rift rumours are in the bin. The squad is back together – training, preparing, rejuvenating. As we wait for a full-fledged WI vs IND series, Team India will hope to put the last few days behind them and start afresh. They begin the West Indies tour with three T20Is, two of which will be played in Florida, USA.
Reports of captain Virat Kohli being rested for the Windies tour had emerged earlier. But the skipper will be leading all three squads in the Caribbean. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will miss the limited-overs leg, while the BCCI has given a complete rest to all-rounder Hardik Pandya. MS Dhoni has also opted out of the tour to serve the Indian Army. With one eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup next year, BCCI’s selection committee has included a mix of fresh faces and seasoned campaigners. This will be a huge opportunity for the young batsmen, all-rounders and bowlers keen to cement their places in the national team. The competition is intense.
Without a doubt, T20 cricket has been West Indies’ strongest suit. They will leave no stone unturned to maintain their reputation as T20 world champions. Their selection committee has also implied a similar strategy by adding spinner Sunil Narine and explosive all-rounder Kieron Pollard to bolster their T20I squad. Andre Russell is also part of the squad. But his participation will be subject to his match fitness. By grooming utility all-round cricketers who give everything to the game, the Windies cricket team is turning out to be an exciting bunch to watch.
Match Info
WI vs IND, 1st T20I: August 3
Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill (08:00 PM IST)
Head-to-Head
Played – 11
West Indies wins – 5
India wins – 5
No result – 1
It’s even-stevens for both teams, who have won an equal number of games against each other. However, India are yet to register a win at this venue, having lost one of the two matches played in Florida. The other ended in a no-result. West Indies have a slight edge over the visitors here.
Team News
West Indies
From the openers to the middle order and right through the tail, West Indies are packed with pinch-hitters and match-winners. Irrespective of the playing XI they choose, the Caribbean threat is bound to loom over the visitors. In Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran, they have some of the most powerful batsmen who can clear the ropes with ease. Add to it, the destruction of skipper Carlos Brathwaite and the mighty Russell, there will be no stopping the Windies once they get going. With Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas and the likes, their fiery pace attack can prove to be India’s thorn in the flesh.
India
Expect a new-look Indian team to step out at the Lauderhill Ground on Saturday (August 3). 21-year-old Rishabh Pant will shoulder a huge responsibility behind the stumps. While Shreyas Iyer is likely to get the nod ahead of the experienced Manish Pandey. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar being the only senior pace bowler, India is set to field an interesting bowling line-up featuring brothers Rahul and Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini and Khaleel Ahmed. It will be a tough pick between Krunal Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja for the coveted all-rounder’s spot. Overall, the Indian squad appears to be a strong and promising one. But, they cannot take the hosts lightly, especially in the shortest format of the game.
Probable XI
West Indies: E Lewis, J Campbell, S Hetmyer, N Pooran (wk), K Pollard, A Russell, C Brathwaite (c), K Paul/R Powell, S Narine, S Cottrell, O Thomas
India: S Dhawan, R Sharma, KL Rahul, V Kohli (c), S Iyer/M Pandey, R Pant (wk), K Pandya, R Chahar, B Kumar, K Ahmed, N Saini
Stat Attack
- West Indies need 1 more win to reach 50 wins in T20 internationals
- Rohit Sharma is three sixes away from breaking Chris Gayle’s record of 105 sixes in T20Is
