India made a fine start to their T20 series with the hosts looking to rebuild in between T20 World Cups after a disastrous showing last year in the UAE. The West Indies, meanwhile, look a side in transition, but there is plenty of talent in their batting unit. Will they be able to hit back here to level the series or will India seal it? Read on for our India vs West Indies 2nd T20 preview and prediction:
India vs West Indies 2nd T20 Preview and Prediction
Series So Far
West Indian vice-captain Nicholas Pooran admitted that his side had allowed the Indian attack to spin a web around them, acknowledging the need to improve in that department moving forward in the series. The concerning thing for the West Indies, however, is that they experienced almost exactly the same struggle against the Indian spinners in the recently concluded three-match ODI series, failing to pass 200 in all three innings as India recorded a comfortable victory.
There were some positive moments for the West Indians in the T20, with Pooran himself compiling a well-made 61 from 43 balls, but the middle-order collapsed in a heap with Ravi Bishnoi taking 2/17 on debut to leave the West Indies with only 157 runs on the board. It was not a terrible score, but against a side as well-stocked with batting talent as India, it was never likely to be enough. So it proved, with India chasing the target down comfortably enough with seven balls to spare.
Expected Teams
India captain Rohit Sharma has made it clear that he is not looking to rotate his side unduly in a World Cup year. India will likely stick with the same XI that won the first game as a result. That will see Sharma open with Ishan Kishan, with Virat Kohli – in need of a score – the next man. Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer will round out the middle-order, with Deepak Chahar in at seven as an all-rounder. Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal will be the frontline bowlers.
Brandon King’s returns at the top of the order have been indifferent, but he should keep his place alongside Kyle Mayers for now at least. Pooran was the pick of the West Indian batsman at number three. Roston Chase had a poor day with the bat, but can bowl useful overs. The rest of the West Indian batting line-up is fairly fluid, with Kieron Pollard, Akeal Hosein, Odean Shepherd, Romario Shepherd and Fabian Allen all capable of batting anywhere between five and 10. Sheldon Cottrell will be at number 11.
Prediction
There is too much talent in this West Indian side for this slump (barring their memorable series win over England) to continue indefinitely. But will this be where the tide starts to turn? Probably not. The West Indian batsman don’t look comfortable against spin and no side has a better pool of spinners than India. Just as in the first T20, it likely won’t be as one-sided as the ODIs, but India should still have enough to win relatively comfortably.
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