"Shubman Gill is being a bit too defensive"- Wasim Jaffer on importance of openers giving India a flying start 

Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer believes the Men in Blue need to ensure that they have a strong opening partnership in the fourth T20I against West Indies to be played in Florida on Saturday, August 12.

Apart from a half-century in the third ODI, Shubman Gill has had a forgettable tour of the West Indies across formats. The opener seems to be out of form and under a bit of pressure as well as far as his place in the shortest format is concerned.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo ahead of the fourth T20I between India and West Indies, here's what Wasim Jaffer had to say about the importance of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal giving India a flying start in Florida:

"We have spoken about how important it is for the openers to get off to a good start in the powerplay and give players like Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma a good platform. But they won't be worried about it as they will know they need to show intent straightaway. Jaiswal will bat with aggressive intent and I feel Shubman Gill is being a bit too defensive. If he gets 2-3 good shots straightaway then that could make a huge difference."

Wasim Jaffer reckons India might not need an extra seam option if Hardik Pandya bowls four overs. He added:

"It will be tempting to add an extra batter because Hardik Pandya has been bowling his four overs. The way Axar has been used and with Tilak as an option too, why not play an extra batter? Two wrist-spinners should definitely play, but a pacer can be replaced. Will Hardik Pandya be able to bowl at the death? That's something only he can answer."

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Wasim Jaffer on Arshdeep Singh's form

Wasim Jaffer also addressed Arshdeep Singh's woeful form of late. The left-arm pacer was once again expensive in the third T20I, leaking runs at the death which once was a phase where he was dependable during last year's T20 World Cup.

On this, Jaffer stated:

"There needs to be a bit of homework done. This is a high-scoring ground and execution needs to be spot-on. It seems like Arshdeep is trying too many things but he is not being able to execute it. So even if he can stop 2-3 boundaries at crucial stages, it could prove to make a massive difference in the game. So he will need to execute well."

It will be interesting to see if India tinker with their winning combination or whether they stick to the same team in Florida.