The spotlight is once again on India’s batting going into the second T20I against the West Indies at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Sunday.
The pitch for the series opener at Tarouba was on the slower side. Strokeplay and hitting through the line in particular wasn’t too easy on that surface.
Yet, it wasn’t so difficult a track that 150 couldn’t be chased down. For a team comprising quite a few names who are stars of their respective IPL franchises, the inability to chase down 150 doesn’t augur well irrespective of how uncertain and fickle T20 cricket is.
Besides, the first T20I wasn’t the only instance of India’s below-par show with the bat. In two of the three games of the preceding ODI series, the batters had struggled in conditions that weren’t ideal for batting.
Of course, the Windies, plagued by their perennial inconsistency, are prone to getting back to their mediocre level quickly enough as was seen in the third and final ODI even after whipping India to level the series. That certainly is one advantage as far as India are concerned.
The Providence Stadium pitch too could be on the slower side. One hasn’t really come across a wicket with firm bounce aiding shot-making in the Caribbean. Indian batsmen then will again have a tough task in their bid to restore parity in the series if the likes of Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein and Romario Shepherd maintain their line and length.
A long tail with effectively four No.11s (Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal and Mukesh Kumar) has also been circled as one of the reasons behind India’s four-run loss in the opening T20I. So, will captain Hardik Pandya and head coach Rahul Dravid be effecting any change in the XI for Sunday’s encounter?
They certainly can avail the option of drafting Yashasvi Jaiswal in the top three in the place of either Kuldeep or Chahal. Also, the team management may have to take a call on whether both Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson should feature in the XI.
That’s one tricky call, considering Samson had hit an impactful 41-ball 51 in the final ODI and looked steady in the first T20I too, till he was run out by a direct hit.
Amid the batting concerns, the flamboyance and spontaneity shown by Tilak Varma in his debut game on Thursday is certainly one big positive for India. His innings at Tarouba seemed an extension of one of those he plays wearing the Mumbai Indians jersey in the IPL.
The West Indies, on the other hand, may remain unchanged. Besides, there’s a rain forecast too during the game.
