Deadline: December 11, 7 PM IST
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Pitch report
This is the same venue where West Indies chased down India’s mammoth target of 193 runs in the semi-final of the 2016 World T20. Lendl Simmons, the Man of the Match on Sunday, remained unbeaten on 82 off 51.
The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium is a delight for the batsmen, so much so that a target has been chased in 5 of 6 T20Is here. Power up your fantasy teams with batsmen and all-rounders.
Probable XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Mohammad Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal/Kuldeep Yadav
West Indies: Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Brandon King, Kieron Pollard (c), Jason Holder, Khary Pierre, Hayden Walsh, Sheldon Cottrell, Kesrick Williams
NOTE: Pick your fantasy cricket team wisely.
Match prediction & preview
Virat Kohli highlighted India’s fielding as the primary reason for their loss in the second T20I: “If you field like that, no total is good enough.” In all they have dropped four catches and all at crucial phases of the game. They were lucky that their captain rescued them at Hyderabad, that the scoreline would have read 0-2.
West Indies looked focussed. They did not try to distract the Indians with sledging or gestures as they unnecessarily did in Hyderabad. They minded their own business, and that helped them end the seven-match losing streak. More importantly, they understood the pitch better than the Indians did. It will be fascinating to see their game plan at the Wankhede Stadium where they have won both their T20Is.
Players to watch out for
It was Lendl Simmons’ first T20I fifty in three years – the previous fifty was the one we discussed in the pitch report. The innings held more importance than what the scorecard suggests. Evin Lewis, who usually launches a counterattack first, received a couple of good deliveries and was pushed on the back foot. He did score 40 but these runs came slower in the context of the game. Simmons realised it, and not only did he make amends but also made sure he bats through.
India’s plan to send Shivam Dube at No. 3 took everyone by surprise. He struggled at first, but as he warmed up, there were glimpses of Yuvraj Singh – although less graceful – in his strokeplay. If anything, there was sheer power in his knock of 54 runs that was laced with 4 massive sixes.
Rishabh Pant batting ahead of Shreyas Iyer also has been an interesting move. Perhaps India wants him to bat as much as he can before next year’s World T20. He has smashed 51 runs with a strike rate of 175.
West Indies’ middle order has been firing on all cylinders. Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer took the centre stage in the first match and Nicholas Pooran in the second.
Kesrick Williams may have the lost battle against Virat Kohli in the first match, but he has gotten the better of the Indian captain twice. He put a finger on his mouth when had Kohli caught at short third-man.
Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar are the only Indian bowlers to take a wicket in both matches. For West Indies, Khary Pierre has dismissed KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma once.
Also, get to know the tips & tricks on how to play fantasy cricket.