For the sixth time on the tour, Virat Kohli called for the wrong side of the coin and lost the toss. Windies skipper Carlos Braithwaite had no hesitation in bowling first, on a pitch which is expected to be the same for 40 overs. Also, the batting line-up which they have, they should have no real issues in chasing a total either.
India made few changes to the side, as finally, the moment arrived when Rishabh Pant got his chance and the wicket-keeper batsman was included on the side. Kuldeep Yadav made his debut in the shortest format of the game.
Ajinkya Rahane was dropped from this format, which means that Virat Kohli will again open the innings. The visitors suffered blow ahead of the start of the game, as Hardik Pandya limped off the ground after suffering an injury during the practice session, due to which skipper Kohli had to make last minute changes in the side.
It’s a different format of the game which is considered to be the forte of Windies. Not to forget, last year as well then known as West Indies side defeated India in the only completed T20I at Florida. Previous to that, they had already upset India in the T20 World Cup in 2016 – a defeat which ruled the host nation out of the World Cup. In short, India can’t afford to take this last assignment lightly, a fact with which Virat Kohli is well versed of.
Captains talk:
Virat Kohli:
“I also want to better my toss record. I called heads five times and lost; today I call tails and still lose. Windies are the World Champs for a reason. When we end up thinking too much, we end up compromising too much in a T20 game. It’s difficult to switch (players) for just one game. The guys have played in IPL, so have a lot of exposure. It’s important to have the same bunch of guys and have them perform. The guys have the skillset to do it.”
Carlos Brathwaite:
“We will bowl first. Team India likes to chase as well. We will try to bowl well. We also don’t have the baggage and it’s about taking positives. We come in fresh (on him not being a part of the ODI set-up). For me as young guys, to have those guys (Gayle and Co.) is a blessing. It’s a massive privilege and we will try to put our best foot forward. For me personally, it’s an opportunity to learn from them.”
Playing XI:
Windies: Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Chadwick Walton(w), Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Carlos Brathwaite(c), Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, Jerome Taylor, Kesrick Williams
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni(w), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar