Match Details
- Venue: Dr. YS Rajasekhar Reddy Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
- Date: 18th December 2019
- Time: 1:30 PM IST
- League: West Indies tour of India
India Preview
India witnessed another top-order failure, and this time around, Rishabh Pant made his mark with a 71-runs inning at number 5. He and Shreyas Iyer (70) saved India’s sinking ship with a 114-runs partnership for the 4th wicket. While Kedar Jadhav looked good for his 40 off 35 balls, his could have contributed more had he stayed on the crease longer. The effort form India’s middle and lower-order got India to 287-8 batting first. This would have been a defendable total if India had their regular bowling attack.
With Jaspreet Bumrah missing out of action along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar ruled out of the series, India took on the visitors with 2 pacers in the playing XI. Spinners have historically dominated the track at Chennai. However, Indian pacers were the only wicket-takers for the hosts. Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadava and Shivam Dube were all wicket-less as India lost by 8 wickets. While India must look to get their bowling combinations right, the onus of scoring runs will be on Kohli, Sharma and KL Rahul.
West Indies Preview
West Indies were better in both the departments as compared to the opposition. While most of the bowling options delivered what was expected, Shai Hope (102) gave a class performance as an opener. Hetmyer, who has been featuring at number 3 in the T20 internationals for Windies, scored 139 at number 3 in 1st ODI against India. The two tons ensure a smooth journey for the visitors to their victory. With Nicholas Pooran at number 4 and Pollard to follow later on, Windies look confident on the batting front.
However, consistency is the key to success against a mighty side like India. India’s top 3 are in good touch and one missed opportunity wouldn’t dent their confidence much. While the Windies bowlers found great success in dismissing Sharma, Kohli and KL Rahul, whether they win the next battle is not certain. Cottrell, Alzarri Joseph and Keemo Paul would be the crucial figures in West Indies bowling line-up. In addition, Roston Chase and Jason Holder also have the potential to make significant contributions with both bat and ball.
Match Prediction
India to win the match
While India lost the 1st One-Day International against West Indies, they’ve got the ability to bounce back. Kohli and Sharma will be keen on making a good comeback while Yuzvendra Chahal could be seen leading the spin attack for India.
However, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran will offer a tough challenge to Indian bowlers. Mohammad Shami, as a result, will have a big responsibility to pick early wickets and put the opposition on the back foot.
Fantasy Team Tips
- Rishabh Pant and Shai Hope would enter this match with some confidence from their previous performance. While Hope is critical for Windies at the top, Pant will be playing to justify his role in the side.
- Kohli and Rahul in the top 3 are likely to strike a partnership while Shimron Hetmyer would eye consistency at number 3.
- Roston Chase and Pollard are good choices for all-rounder in the Windies side. While Chase was wicket-less in the last match, he bowls at good economy rate and would follow Nicholas Pooran in the batting order.
- Sheldon Cottrell, the lead bowler for Windies and Mohammad Shami would be the most sought after bowlers in the fantasy team. In addition, Yuzvendra Chahal could be making a comeback in the team and expected to bag some wickets.
Fantasy Team Prediction
- Wicket-Keeper – R Pant, S Hope
- Batsmen – V Kohli, L Rahul, S Hetmyer
- All-rounders – K Jadhav, K Pollard, R Chase
- Bowlers – S Cottrell, M Shami, Y Chahal
- Captain – V Kohli
- Vice-Captain – S Hetmyer