India vs West Indies: 3 tweaks the Men In Blue need to make for the 3rd T20I

A couple of days ago, West Indies dug deep into their hitting reserves to unfurl a plethora of breath-taking shots as they ransacked a target of 171 with 9 balls to spare, despite many opining that the Indians got gotten themselves to a par-score.

Through the course of that encounter, a few of India’s T20I frailties were brought to light, with none occupying the captain and the team management as much as the side’s inability to defend another total.

Apart from the above, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar also failed to fulfil their roles at the start and at the death as the visitors’ batsmen made merry.

And, though there were a few positives, namely Shivam Dube’s breezy fifty and Washington Sundar’s smart brand of spin bowling, the encounter at Thiruvananthapuram posed more questions than answers.

On the 11 December, the rubber would proceed towards its finale with the Wankhede Stadium acting as the stage for a 3rd consecutive Indian series victory over the West Indies or the platform for the tourists to repeat their 2016 heroics and underline their credentials in the shortest format.

Thus, with so much at stake, it is imperative that India get their tactics and team selection spot on, especially against a side high on confidence. And, through the lens of this article, we would chalk out three tweaks the hosts need to make for the game in Mumbai.

Without further ado, here is a look at them.

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#3 Open the bowling with Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar has impressed with the ball so far (Credits: Hindustan Times)

In both contests so far, India haven’t managed to contain the effervescent Evin Lewis, with the opener forging important partnerships at the top and injecting the innings with the requisite impetus.

The left-hander has seemed equipped to thwart whatever the Indians have thrown at him and has even looked much more comfortable and sound against swing bowling, an aspect that has led to his downfall previously.

However, the only blemish for Lewis so far has been his handling of Washington Sundar. Though the off-spinner was carted around the park in his opening couple of overs in Hyderabad, the lanky lad from Tamil Nadu hit back to trap the West Indian in front.

In Thiruvananthapuram, Washington learnt from his mistakes and bowled a fuller length, thereby causing Lewis all sorts of problems. The batsman was reluctant to get onto the front foot and tentatively kept prodding at deliveries outside the off-stump.

Thus, the time could be ripe for India to exploit that particular weakness and throw a spoke in the West Indians’ wheel at the outset.

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In addition, Lendl Simmons isn’t an assured starter against spin. And, while he has the shots to get on top of the bowler, his strike rotation against the slower bowlers leaves a lot to be desired, meaning that he might have to behave against character and attack instantly in order to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Hence, opening the bowling with Washington could be a ploy that pays massive dividends come Wednesday.

#2 Let Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer play at No.3 and No.4 respectively

Virat Kohli

At the Greenfield International Stadium, India sprung a major surprise when Shivam Dube walked out to bat at No.3, instead of Virat Kohli. The youngster went on to enthral the audience en route a whirlwind half-century, meaning that the decision was vindicated.

However, once the left-hander perished, Kohli looked extremely patchy batting in the middle overs. The sluggish nature of the pitch and the pressure to keep up the burgeoning run rate meant that the Indian skipper tried to force proceedings rather than easing into his essay.

Inevitably, he attempted a shot too many and was dismissed by Kesrick Williams.

A few overs later, Shreyas Iyer was also sent packing after he completely miscued a lofted shot off Hayden Walsh Jr. The Mumbaikar, akin to Kohli, had scratched around for his runs before opting to break the shackles.

Thus, both batsmen had gotten out trying to play a slightly different role to what they’ve been naturally accustomed to.

Kohli and Shreyas are excellent rotators of strike and both like a few deliveries to get into their groove. Moreover, the pair has primarily batted at the top of the order with the former in particular, boasting the rare attribute of controlling games.

Thus, it would seem a travesty if the duo is wasted lower down the order, where at times, they might have to up the ante from the first ball they face. The aforementioned batsmen are excellent at setting the tempo and then increasing it, whereas someone of the ilk of Rishabh Pant or even Shivam are more acclimatised to pulling off the extravagant shots early in their innings.

And, while India seemingly turned a T20I corner with their inclination to shuffle their batting pack, one reckons they might be better served utilising their resources optimally in the deciding encounter.

#1 Find a way to include Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav

Over the past couple of matches, India have failed to pick wickets at regular intervals, meaning that the visitors have managed to stitch together partnerships and then embark on their fabled hitting spree. Thus, if the hosts are to contain the West Indians and set themselves up for a series victory, one feels that they might just have to evolve a mechanism to keep chipping away at the tourists’ batting line-up. And, that, is where Kuldeep Yadav could come into the equation.

The left-arm spinner has been left out of both games as the Men In Blue have preferred Ravindra Jadeja and Washington. Consequently, wickets have been hard to come by in the middle phases. Moreover, Kuldeep’s absence has been magnified with Jasprit Bumrah missing.

On Wednesday, at the Wankhede Stadium, a placid pitch seems to be in the offing for both outfits, meaning that the game could morph into a six-hitting contest. Hence, a bowler of the ilk of Kuldeep, who boasts an astounding average of 12.97 and an equally impressive strike rate of 11.5, could prove to be the tonic to the hosts’ ailments.

Additionally, finger spinners might not be as effective in Mumbai, especially against the raw hitting power of the West Indians. After all, one only needs to remember the carnage they affected at the 2016 ICC World T20 to drive that point home.

Most importantly though, the visitors aren’t great players of wrist-spin, a fact emphasised by their batsmen’s rather sub-standard record against Kuldeep.

Shimron Hetmyer has faced the left-arm spinner in ODIs and Tests, while they haven’t confronted each other in the shortest format. In the 50-over version, the West Indian has scored 49 runs and has gotten out twice to Kuldeep, whereas in Tests, he has been scalped thrice by the chinaman, despite Hetmyer only facing 24 deliveries.

Similarly, Nicholas Pooran has also been put to the sword by Kuldeep with the latter getting the better of him once in ODIs and T20Is. More tellingly though, despite facing 36 deliveries in 50-over cricket, Pooran has only managed 31 runs.

Lewis, on the other hand, enjoyed one good innings against Kuldeep in T20Is, back in 2017, meaning that that particular statistic is slightly skewed. However, in ODIs, the Indian has dismissed him thrice in 43 balls, with the West Indian scoring 32 runs.

Furthermore, Kieron Pollard has always looked susceptible to wrist spin with his ability to pick the bowler out of his hand coming under the scanner.

Thus, there seems plenty of evidence for India to fiddle with their line-up and find a way to include Kuldeep. And, while that might mean benching the usually reliable Jadeja, it could prove to be a masterstroke, especially considering the skill-set the chinaman would bring to the plate.