*INDIA VS WESTINDIES 2nd T20I IN A 5 MATCH T20I SERIES 2023 PREVIEW*
*THE BUILD UP:*
Imagine boasting your team’s talent pool from such a long time and ending up losing to the WestIndies, a team that failed to qualify for the WorldCup last year which was held in Australia. India has been in a sorry state of affairs lately and the immense importance of Rohit and Kohli has been felt, without whom India have now lost 2/3 on this tour already.
A 5 match T20I series often gets tiring but with India losing the opener, it makes things interesting. The Hardik led side choked when only 37 were needed off 30 with 6 wickets remaining and Captain Pandya on strike but things went down south right after that with India losing the plot and WI snatching a win from under their noses. It was a mix of the slow pitch playing its tricks and the Indian lower order batting being weak, a little came down to India’s selection but alot was down to India’s bad execution. It would be a scene to watch as the captain tries making a comeback in order to give the fans hope that India can still finish strong and with Hope of sealing the series.
*WI PROBABLE XI:*
Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles (wk), Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell (capt), Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy
Nicholas Pooran at one point was 22 off 6 but eventually the slowness of the pitch got to him and his strike rate reduced. However, the way he struck the ball and treated the bowlers with disdain was a sight to watch. He gave Indians a proper assault treatment as he carried on from the form that he was in, in the USA, also gearing up for the CPL. I personally loved how casually he smoked the spinners (Chahal and Axar) out of the park and performed the slog consistently and he will be a big threat come the second T20I as well, specially if WI bat first in order to post a 150 plus total.
Jason Holdar and Romario Shephered, two bowlers who excel very nicely with their change in pace and their variations will be kept a close eye on. Even last game, the senior allrounder gave just 19 and picked up two key wickets, making it almost impossible for India to comeback into the game. His cutters will sure put India under pressure as they look to level the series with three more games remaining.
Kyle Mayers lately has been struggling to hit the right form. Even last game, he was trapped to a harmless delivery by Chahal in front of the stumps and couldn’t quite get going. The ODI series was also some sort of a troublesome area for him. He would look to brush all odds and rise.
*INDIA PROBABLE XI:*
Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar
Though India is likely to play Kuldeep or Chahal or both, I would like to see Ravi Bishnoi in the reckoning who offers a quicker googly and a much finer variety which no other Indian spinner does at the moment. Bishnoi is quicker through the air and has the potential to put the WI batters under the pump with the way he operates. With the T20 WC fast approaching, India should try their guns who have an “x factor” tag to them in order to give them the best chance to outperform other sides.
It would make sense if India try and get Jaiswal into the XI after their lower order failed to put on the runs. They did not have a proper No8 and that made things extremely tough at the backend of the innings, with India faltering at the end. Jaiswal is an intent merchant who rocked the world with his stunning India debut in the whites and his free flowing aggressive batting will be a pleasing sight even tomorrow if he gets a chance to play at the top of the order. Coupled with this is the intent that Tilak showed. Imagine smoking your first ball in international cricket for a four, that too off Joseph who hits the deck hard and extracts decent bounce off the surface. We got to witness some stupendous stuff from the southpaw and India is lucky to have him around. He was their best batter last game(the first T20I) and would be keen upon making a mark in the second game as well to help India get back on track.
*MY PREDICTIONS:*
*FOR WI:*
Highest run getter- Brandon King/Nicholas Pooran
Highest wicket taker- Obed McCoy/Jason Holdar
*FOR INDIA:*
Highest run getter- Tilak Verma/Shubman Gill
Highest wicket taker- Arshdeep Singh/Kuldeep Yadav
*FOR THIS GAME:*
India to win and make a comeback into the series