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Having secured the series with 2-0 lead, India will host the West Indies in the third T20 international at Eden Gardens on February 20.
The West Indies tour of India hasn’t been a productive one for the visitors as they conceded a 2-0 lead in the T20I leg after losing the ODI series earlier. The Windies came close in the second T20 international on Friday but were eventually beaten by eight runs. The two teams will meet in the third match at the same venue of Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.
The West Indies had their shot at victory on this tour in the second game. India won the toss and decided to bat first, going in with an unchanged playing XI. Virat Kohli scored 52 off 41, but India largely struggled to score at a good rate. It was Rishabh Pant’s magnificent 52* off 28 and Venkatesh Iyer’s solid cameo of 18-ball 33 that powered the hosts to a strong total of 186/5.
Chasing a big target, the Windies openers were detrimental for them, Brandon King in particular, who consumed 30 balls and scored only 22 runs. Nicholas Pooran’s outstanding 62 off 41 and Rovman Powell’s brutal 68* off 36 wasn’t enough as India held their nerves in death overs. Ravi Bishnoi was yet again mighty impressive, while Harshal Patel and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were excellent in the end overs.
Earlier, India had claimed a six-wicket victory in the first T20I, chasing down 158 in 18.5 overs. India are well on track to building a strong squad for this year’s T20 World Cup. They’d looking to complete a clean sweep over the West Indies across two series.
Key players
Rohit Sharma’s international T20 numbers are quite terrific, with 3256 runs at an average of 33 while striking at 141. He has smashed four hundreds and 26 fifties in 121 T20I games. Sharma has scored four fifties and a couple of 40s in his last eight T20 innings. Rohit will be key for India in this match with several experienced players missing.
One of the best spin powerhitters in T20 cricket, Nicholas Pooran has been working on becoming a better all-round player. The left-hand batter has been superb for the Windies in this series, scoring 61 off 43 in the first game and following it up with 62 off 41. In overall T20s, Pooran has scored over 4200 runs at an average of 25 and strike rate of 143.
Promising spinner Ravi Bishnoi has 52 wickets from 44 T20 matches at an economy of 6.59, including best figures of 4/15. The leg-break googly bowler was magnificent on his debut, picking 2 for 17 and followed it up with 1 for 30 in the next. He will again be a key factor in the third T20 match.
Suryakumar Yadav has stepped up to international stage in a remarkable fashion. One of the best players of spin, he has a fantastic record in T20 cricket, scoring 4170 runs at an average of 31 and strike rate of 141. SKY has scored three fifties in his 11 innings in international T20s. He was excellent in the first T20I, taking the team over the line with 34* off 18.
Prediction
The head to head record between India and West Indies in T20 internationals is quite telling. The champion West Indies side had beaten India in five of their first eight clashes. The tables turned, and the strong Indian side has defeated the men in maroon on 10 of the last 11 occasions.
The Indian team has looked pretty strong despite missing a couple of key players. Rohit, Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer have done well in the batting unit, while Bishnoi, Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been superb in the bowling department.
The Rohit-Dravid duo has stressed on the importance of giving players consistent chances, and so Ishan Kishan is likely to get another game. Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad/Deepak Hooda are likely to replace Kohli and Pant, who have been given a break from the bio bubble.
The West Indies have struggled badly in the top order with Evin Lewis unavailable. Nicholas Pooran has been magnificent, while Rovman Powell has done well. They bat deep, but that batting depth hasn’t been utilised in the two games due to the slow approach from the openers. King could get dropped. The bowling unit has its worries in the death overs.
Overall, India are a stronger side and should win the third T20I, but the West Indies can’t be counted out, especially with India missing batting firepower.
