*INDIA VS WESTINDIES 4th T20I IN A 5 MATCH T20I SERIES 2023 PREVIEW*
*THE BUILD UP:*
*CAN WI SEAL THE DEAL AS CRICKET MOVES TO THE USA?:*
Cricket is a beautiful sport. It keeps moving around and the fact that it still attracts crowds is exciting. The cricket, for this week, has moved to the USA and the Indians who will be turning up over there in huge numbers will know the value of it. We can only imagine how big a game this is, not just in terms of the context but also in terms of the viewership.
India, currently, coming on the back of a win, are placed nicely. Their star T20I batter in SKY finally got going and ended up out scoring everybody and making his presence felt. With Tilak also turning up in his debut T20I series and the bowlers chipping in with decent numbers, expect India to show the fight under Hardik, that is the need of the hour.
The Caribbean boys on the other hand, were fortunate as well as showed courage in order to kickstart the series with two wins upfront. Their batters did decent but what turned out to be the highlight was their impressive numbers with the ball, turning up nicely for their side and restricting the innings to below par mediocre totals at best. India managed to score only 145 and 152 in their two innings and were caught in a trap that Powell and his men set up nicely. The hosts will be raring to comeback in the series and wrap it up here in USA with a game remaining so that the final game can be kept reserved for the experiments.
*INDIA PROBABLE XI:*
Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar
Shubman Gill is a batter of class and while he bats, its a treat to watch for all fans. However, his T20I numbers outside Ahmedabad in internationals are very average. Not only has he failed to get going but has also shown certain technical flaws. In the 8 innings that he has played outside the Narendra Modi Stadium, the youngster doesn’t even have an aggregate of 100 runs which is a poor stat to have. He would love to get back to some form and make it count because the time is running out and what better than to perform in a high pressure game where the stakes are high. The talent from Punjab is expected to be backed both these games and he would like to repay some of the faith.
The spin duo of Yuzi and Kuldeep can feature in a T20 International again and with the windies/USA pitches expected to tire down as the game goes by, they would fancy their chances as traditionalists of this format. The two of them together set it up really nice vs the opposition and they could very well solve India’s spin issues heading into the T20 WorldCup later in 2024 on similar pitches in the Windies. However, the two will have to be careful about the freshness of this wicket which is hosting an international game after some time. The Windies power hitters can really get on their nerves on a track that could be a decent one to bat on. The swing of Mukesh Kumar Will also be tested here because he tends to rely more on movement through the air and he could find that absent this time around.
Looking forward to watching Sanju bat in this game. He has been around the setup for long, being inconsistent with his performances and getting dropped after every alternate series. If he does well here, it bodes extremely well for him and the side given his credentials as a potent middle order option in the lineup who has the capability of launching it high into the orbit.
*WINDIES PROBABLE XI:*
Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy
Alzarri Joseph in his last two outings has gotten the better of two Indian batters each time and has been economical to go along with his wicket taking abilities. He has been a troublesome figure vs India and despite the duo of Rohit and Kohli not featuring, he is faring well here- troubling them with his back of length deliveries and striking at crucial junctures. He would look to up his tally again today.
Nicky P was devastated post his dismissal last game and he has every right to feel that way. The kind of impeccable form he’s in, right now, only makes him an asset for the Windies Cricket and the earlier India see the back of him, the better for them each day. He has been mercilessly timing the cricket ball to perfection and has results to show for it and rightly so, he has the maximum runs vs India in T20Is history. I won’t be surprised if he powers WI to a resounding win today specially given how brutal he has been with his ball hammering habit.
*MY PREDICTIONS:*
*FOR INDIA*
Highest run getter- Shubman Gill/Yashasvi Jaiswal/Sanju Samson
Highest wicket taker- Kuldeep Yadav/Arshdeep Singh
*FOR WI:*
Highest run getter- Nicholas Pooran/Kyle Mayers
Highest wicket taker- Alzarri Joseph/Akeal Hossain
*FOR THIS GAME:*
Indian boys to win again