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India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I Preview And Dream XI Predictions
- Updated: December 10, 2019
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The India vs West Indies series which started with the three-match T20Is is level at 1-1 after West Indies won the second T20I in Hyderabad by 8 wickets and made the run-chase look ridiculously easy. Lendl Simmons (67*) anchored the chase for the Windies and in the process opened up many questions for the Indian team for which they need to find an answer to ahead of the decider in Mumbai on Wednesday, 11 December.
The last game which India played against the Windies in Mumbai was the semi-final of the World T20 when it was Lendl Simmons yet again who plundered the Indian bowlers. Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 89 was matched by an equally entertaining knock by Simmons who scored an unbeaten 82 that night to knock India out of the tournament. The bitter defeat in that game will be on India’s mind and they will look for nothing except revenge when they take the field.
Going into the India vs West Indies series decider in Mumbai, India have more questions to answer than the Windies who were actually better with the ball than India in the first two games. Indian skipper Virat Kohli blamed the fielding effort by the Indian team for their loss in Hyderabad. Evin Lewis and Simmons were both dropped in the fifth over for which India had to pay the price at the end of the game. While Simmons was let off by Washington Sundar, Lewis was dropped by Rishabh Pant who went wrong-footed while attempting the catch.
Also Read: India vs West Indies, 2nd T20I Preview: Team India Look to Take Advantage of Virat Kohli’s Form
“No, not (happy with the fielding) at all. In the last two games we’ve been below-par on the field. I think we were good with the ball in the first four overs, we created enough pressure. But if you drop two chances in a T20 game then, it’s going to cost you” were the words of a certain dejected Kohli at the post-match press conference.
Sorting Out The Bowling Attack
The other aspect of India’s gameplan which they need to work out is their bowling outfit. The Indian bowlers played with the same XI in the first two games and in both those matches gave away plenty of runs. While in the first game they conceded over 200 runs bowling first, in the second they failed to defend 170.
The likes of Mohammad Shami and Kuldeep Yadav are yet to get a game in the series and the time is right for both of them to make a comeback. Shami has been in good red-ball form and one expects him to continue that form in white-ball as well. He showed his prowess as a white-ball bowler for India in the ODI World Cup earlier this year picking up 14 wickets from just four games. With the Indian bowling attack lacking some experience in the current India vs West Indies series, the comeback of Shami and Kuldeep can certainly bolster the attack. They can replace Deepak Chahar and Washington Sundar in the playing XI both of whom have gone for runs.
In the last two to three years, the Indian bowling attack has certainly been at its peak in ODI and Test cricket. In the T20Is however, the attack has been found wanting to deliver. With the T20 World Cup coming up. Kohli has been very vocal about playing in challenging conditions. Well, there is no bigger challenge at the moment than sorting out this bowling attack and winning the series decider in Mumbai.
Also Read: India vs West Indies: 1st T20I Preview: Teams Renew Old Rivalry
As far as the West Indies team is concerned, they have found the mojo back after the win at Hyderabad. Their bowlers have been better than their Indian counterparts in the first two matches. Hayden Walsh and Kharry Pierre have posed problems for the Indian batsmen. With the Mumbai track expected to be a batting-friendly one, the slow bowlers from both teams are expected to play a defining role in the game. Together Khary and Walsh picked up three wickets in the last game and Walsh being a leg-break bowler picked up two himself. Seeing Walsh and Pierre make the most of the spinning conditions in the last game despite the wicket assisting the batsman mainly, the comeback of Kuldeep Yadav alongside Yuzvendra Chahal becomes essential for the Indian bowling attack.
With both teams having matchwinners with the bat, it all comes down to which bowling attack can perform well on the night to help win their team.
Meanwhile. here is the Dream XI team for the match.
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