After Ranchi run-fest, India and West Indies gear up for another high-scoring T20I

India and the West Indies prepare for the third T20I in Indore after a 501-run thriller in Ranchi. Flat conditions, short boundaries and expected dew could favour a high-scoring contest, while both teams face pressure to sharpen bowling and fielding

Indore: Another bat-versus-bat encounter is on the cards, with pressure set to mount on bowlers when India and the West Indies square off in the third T20I at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday.

As many as 501 runs were scored in the second T20I in Ranchi, where the West Indies pulled off a thrilling win by chasing down 250 with more than an over to spare. The result prompted India head coach Gautam Gambhir to turn his attention to the bowlers’ struggles for the second time in a fortnight.

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With the pitch expected to be a belter again in Indore, Gambhir’s think tank and bowling attack, like their counterparts in the opposition camp, will have little room for error. Apart from the short boundaries, dew is also expected to play a major role.

It will all boil down to the precise execution of plans and getting the basics right across departments, including fielding. In Ranchi, Mayank Yadav, who breathed fire in the powerplay and took three wickets, dropped a regulation catch of Sherfane Rutherford.

It proved to be a turning point, as Rutherford went from 38 off 18 balls to smash a scintillating 84 off 37 balls, hitting seven sixes and as many fours in a match-defining 120-run stand with skipper Shai Hope, who himself scored an unbeaten century.

India will remain wary of the dangerous big-hitter Hope at the top of the order. He has already scored two centuries on this tour, keeping his side competitive against the hosts’ batting prowess.

India will also hope that the rest of the bowlers — Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube and Naman Dhir — support Mayank in what promises to be another tough examination in Indore.

One of the bright spots for India in the series so far has been skipper Shreyas Iyer. With help from former India batting coach Abhishek Nayar, Iyer has rediscovered his touch, scoring an unbeaten 102 in the opening match and a quickfire 40 off 18 balls in Ranchi.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson’s 82 off 41 balls ended his lean patch, meaning young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have to wait for his opportunity. India are expected to continue experimenting, while the West Indies will enter the match with confidence, boosted by Rutherford’s fine form, Hope’s exploits and Roston Chase’s crucial spell of 3-24.

Key Details:

When: Sunday, October 11, at 7 pm

Where: Holkar Stadium, Indore

Where to watch: The match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network channels and streamed on the JioHotstar app and website.

Squads

India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav.

West Indies: Shai Hope (c & wk), Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd and Shamar Springer.

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