With a win in the third T20I earlier in the week, Team India kept the ongoing five-match T20I series alive against the hosts, the West Indies. The caravan now moves to the United States, where the two teams will fight for the fourth and fifth T20Is.
The upcoming fourth T20I is scheduled to be hosted by the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida, on Saturday, August 12.
Situated on the eastern coast of Florida, the track at Lauderhill often aids the batters with true bounce. Batters from both the teams will be eager to stamp their authority at the venue.
So far, Team India have played six T20 internationals at the venue, winning four and losing just once. One game in 2016 ended in a no-result.
The last time India played a T20I in Florida was in August 2022. Just like this year, the stadium hosted the last two T20Is of the five-match series last year as well.
Both the T20Is were won by the visitors, finishing the series with a 4-1 scoreline. The last T20I saw India win the encounter by 88 runs - the largest T20I victory by runs remaining at Lauderhill.
After opting to bat first, the visitors piled up a healthy first-innings total of 188/7. Top-order batters in Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Hooda did the bulk of the scoring. While Iyer smashed his highest T20I score against the West Indies, reaching a 40-ball 64, Hooda hammered two sixes en route to his 25-ball 38.
Hardik Pandya also provided some finishing touches with a 16-ball 28. Odean Smith was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts.
In reply, the West Indies put up a horror show with the bat, getting dismissed for only 100 runs in 15.4 overs. Axar Patel wreaked havoc with his left-arm spin as he bagged three wickets inside the powerplay. Shimron Hetmyer was the lone warrior for his side, scoring a half-century.
Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav were also phenomenal as the duo took seven wickets between them. As many as eight West Indian batters made only a single-digit score.
Axar was adjudged the Player of the Match for killing the game in his very first spell of 3/15, which included one maiden over as well.
Can Shubman Gill regain his form in the remaining two T20Is?
India's batting sensation Shubman Gill started 2023 with a bang. He scored hundreds for fun for India and even hit three tons in the IPL 2023 season.
However, post-IPL 2023, Gill has underperformed massively. While he did notch up a half-century in the third ODI against the West Indies in Trinidad, Gill has been deprived of runs in the shortest format.
In the ongoing T20I series, the Indian opener has only scored 16 runs at a dismal average of 5.33. India would hope that the talented right-hander fires on all cylinders in the forthcoming game.
A great batting surface at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Florida might just be what Gill needs to regain his class.
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