India vs West Indies 2018: Andre Russell’s injury might have tilted balance in India’s favour

Unlike the Tests and ODIs where they were clearly the underdogs against India, the West Indies are widely expected to put up a much better fight in the shortest format of the game. After all, they are the only country that have won the ICC T20 World Cup twice. They also have a winning head to head record against India in T20Is.

The series kicks off in the historic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on November 4th. This is the ground on which they had achieved one of their biggest titles in recent memory, winning the ICC T20 World Cup in a most dramatic manner.

The sound of “Carlos Brathwaite! Carlos Brathwaite!! Remember the name”, in the booming voice of Ian Bishop still brings back the memories of that epic final in which the current West Indian captain sensationally gave his side the victory by hitting Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes.

But their return to the same venue has been marred by absences of star players such as Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis. The latest setback for them is the injury to their star all-rounder Andre Russell, who has been ruled out of the entire series.

Andre Russell’s absence has possibly titled the balance in India’s favour, at least by a small margin. Russell is surely one of the best fast bowling all-rounders in world cricket at present.

In the 47 matches that he has played for West Indies, he has scored 465 runs at an average of 18, which may not seem much. But when one considers that these runs have come while batting in the lower middle order when there are only a handful of overs left most of the time, then his contribution seems significant.

Moreover, these runs have come at a healthy strike rate of 141. His record as a batsman in Domestic T20 matches is quite incredible too. He has scored 4107 runs in 268 matches with an average of 25 and an astonishing strike rate of 167!

ICC World Twenty20 India 2016: Semi-Final: West Indies v India

His bowling has been very useful for West Indies as well. He has taken 25 wickets in the 47 matches that he has played for West Indies and in Domestic T20 matches, he has taken 244 wickets in 268 matches.

He has raw pace and bounce. In the pace-friendly Eden Garden pitch of Kolkata, his utility in both departments, as well as his brilliant fielding, would have been very valuable to the West Indies team. Moreover, his familiarity with the Eden Gardens pitch as someone who plies his trade there for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL would have come in handy.

Now that he is no longer a part of the West Indies team due to injury, it suddenly seems that the balance has been tilted in India’s favour a bit. And it is the home side that may actually start as the favourites now.