West Indies VS India, 2nd T20I

The visitors will have to be wary of Ravi Bishnoi yet again. © BCCI

The Picture

India made a mockery of the target of 158 set by the West Indies and except for a brief period during the chase, the Indians were in complete control of the entire match right from the toss. The hosts bowled well with their spinners tying the Windies batsmen in knots. Ravi Bishnoi on debut had figures of 17-2 of which 16 of his balls were dots. The visitors weren't able to deal with his wrong un's with his pace playing a major factor in his success. The duo of Chahal and Bishnoi ensured that the opposition weren't allowed to dominate even with the batting firepower they boasted of. Only Nicholas Pooran managed to stick around and his half century ensured the Windies had a score to defend. The Indian pacers were also decent as they picked wickets in their final overs. Rohit got off to an electrifying start as he scored 40 of 19 balls as India managed 58 runs in the powerplay. Ishan Kishan struggled, with Roston Chase being the pick of the West Indian bowlers picking 2 wickets at an economy of only 3.50 and giving West Indies a chance to crawl back into the game. India lost a couple of quick wickets, but once Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav got together they slammed the door shut on the visitors as they propelled the team to their 7th T20 victory on the bounce.

India would be a happy lot after their performance in the first game, and although their skipper expected an even more clinical victory with the bat, he couldn't have asked for more. Giving the roles to each player in the team seems to have worked wonders for them and Rohit's captaincy and his mindset while opening the batting has been top notch. They will be hoping that Virat Kohli finds his groove and we all know what he is capable of, don't we? West Indies will rue their inability to rotate the strike and score more runs in the middle overs and Pollard will want his men to show more fight and character. They will hope that their batting can turn things around and can ensure that their bowlers are in with a fighting chance. He will also hope that the toss falls in his favour to make better use of the conditions. India have gone 1-0 up and with the series on the line expect a charged up West Indian side to turn up. Get set for a fiercely fought encounter as the tour gets on its final legs. 

When: 18 February 2022, Friday

Time:   7:00 P.M (IST)

Where: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Team News

West Indies

Jason Holder who missed the last game due to a niggle will be back and that should improve the visitor's team balance. But then how will they fit in Roston Chase who had an excellent game in the field? That will be the big question. 

Probable XI: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein/ Roston Chase, Fabian Allen, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Sheldon Cottrell/Dominic Drakes

India

Both Deepak Chahar and Venkatesh Iyer got hit hard on their hands by Pollard, although Iyer batted for India. If Chahar fails to recover then Shardul Thakur can come in as a like for like replacement, unless Siraj is preferred.

Probable XI: Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar/ Shardul Thakur/ Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal

Pitch and Playing Conditions

Another similar wicket is expected for the game and the lightning quick outfields will buoy the batters further. Dew played a part in the last game with the West Indian bowlers struggling with the ball. Both teams would look to chase and have the dew work for them instead.

Interesting Facts

• Rohit has a win/loss ratio of 4.75 in 23 T20I's. It is the highest for any skipper who has captained in a minimum of 20 matches.