West Indies tri-series 2013: Match 4 - India vs WI - Five players to watch out for

The last India-WI match was a low-scoring thriller

India came to the tournament with a massive Champions Trophy victory behind them but two consecutive defeats in the West Indies indicate that a lot remains to be done.

The conditions are in stark contrast from those that India faced in England, the ball does not come onto the bat with the same pace whereas the spinners, though they are able to get some turn on the dry surfaces, are hampered by the lack of pace that allows the batsman to move on to the back-foot with ease.

The scene now shifts from Jamaica to the Port of Spain. The conditions might not change a great deal, but a new venue augurs well for India.

India missed captain MS Dhoni in that last match against Sri Lanka where the Indian bowlers were given a hiding at the hands of Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga. Such a defeat can dampen the morale of the side. Virat Kohli must step up with his batting and leadership abilities to guide India through this tough time. It is critical that India come back with vengeance against West Indies on Thursday.

The hosts, on the other hand, sit pretty at the top of the table, but they need to win another match to ensure their presence in the final. They have all the required resources to do so. Dwayne Bravo is likely to return to the side for the game, but Ravi Rampaul’s participation is under some doubt.

The performances of their top-order batsmen have set up victories for them in the previous matches with Chris Gayle and Johnson Charles contributing with match winning knocks. West Indies will be hoping that this trend continues.

Here is a list of five players who can make a difference to the eventual result of the game:

5. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

India missed the typical early breakthroughs provided by Bhuvneshwar Kumar against Sri Lanka

Kumar was left out of the bowling attack in the game against Sri Lanka in favour of Shami Ahmed.

The move turned out to be a big blunder as India thoroughly missed the early breakthroughs which the swing bowler has consistently delivered in the past. India can give Shami Ahmed yet another go against West Indies, but that should be at the expense of Umesh Yadav who needs to be rested as the pacer has been taking a lot of workload.

Furthermore, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has an excellent record against Chris Gayle. If he can some more early dents in the West Indian top-order, India will have a fair chance of dismissing them pretty cheaply.

4. Sunil Narine

Against India, Sunil Narine faces a much greater challenge

Sunil Narine’s statistics are a testament to the fact that he becomes doubly effective in home conditions. He did not have a great outing against the Indians in the first game as he was taken for runs on a day that saw most West Indian bowlers chip in with wickets.

Indian batsmen read him better than any batting side in international cricket and hence it will be a test of his quality. He will try to curb the run-rate in the middle overs and will be Dwayne Bravo’s go-to man if a partnership needs to be broken.

3. Rohit Sharma

The West Indian wickets may not be to Rohit’s liking but he has to display some patience in the middle

The middle-order batsman made a half-century in the last match against the West Indies but threw it away when it was important to capitalize upon it to construct a big innings. He had another failure against Sri Lanka, and must realize that Murali Vijay is waiting on the sidelines for his opportunity. He cannot afford to be so inconsistent.

West Indies is a difficult place for him to make runs as the ball does not come on to the bat and that disrupts his timing. He needs to find those extra reserves of patience and stick it out in the first ten overs so that he can get some momentum going. His shot-selection has been his undoing in the past.

2. Johnson Charles

Charles missed out on a hundred against India in the last match

The no-nonsense batsman has had a good time in this series so far. He decimated Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the previous encounter and played with the typical West Indian flamboyance. It was not a mindless innings however as he tried to play as straight as possible initially before he cut loose.

He missed out on a triple figure score, but his innings spurred West Indies on to a much required victory. He will open the batting with Chris Gayle who will be yet another major threat to the Indian bowling side.

Gayle’s hundred against Sri Lanka exhibited the manner in which he can snatch a match away from the side within the first ten-fifteen overs and hence India need to send both the openers packing before they can challenge for a win.

1. Virat Kohli

Kohli will be under double scrutiny – as a batsman as well as a captain

The stand-in captain will have more than one role to play in the match as he tries to fill the massive shoes of MS Dhoni. It will really help his leadership if he can get some confidence with a substantial innings. He is going through a dry patch of runs as he rarely fails in two consecutive innings for India.

He must retain his number three position in the side even if Murali Vijay is included in the playing XI. India’s campaign in the tri-series will depend upon how this match goes, but it will also have a heavy bearing on the way Virat Kohli is perceived as a potential leader for this side.