India, West Indies Look For Upper Hand In Another Bat-versus-Bat Contest In 3rd T20I

India, WI Look For Upper Hand In Another Bat-vs-Bat Contest In 3rd T20I© NDTV Library

Another bat-versus-bat contest is likely to exert further pressure on the bowlers, who have already taken enough battering, when India and West Indies face off in the third T20 International at the Holkar Stadium's batting haven on Sunday. As many as 501 runs were scored in the second T20I in Ranchi, with the West Indies chasing down India's massive 250-run target with more than an over to spare, prompting head coach Gautam Gambhir to once again highlight the plight of bowlers.

But Gambhir's think tank and his bowlers, along with their counterparts in the opposition camp, cannot expect any immediate respite, especially in Indore, as the venue traditionally favours batters with its flat pitches and short boundaries.

It will thus come down to execution across departments between the two sides, with dropped catches and missed opportunities carrying even greater significance.

Mayank Yadav spilling a regulation catch of Sherfane Rutherford midway through the West Indies innings proved decisive, as the batter went on to add a massive 120-run stand off 54 balls with skipper Shai Hope.

Rutherford was on 38 off 18 when Mayank dropped a straightforward chance at short fine leg, and the Caribbean left-hander eventually finished on 84 off 37 balls, hammering seven sixes and as many fours.

India will also be wary of Hope's form at the top of the order, with the West Indies captain having scored two centuries on this tour, displaying exceptional form and skill to keep his team in contention against the home side's batting firepower.

For India, it will be another stern test of finding solutions and executing plans with the ball, with dew also expected to play its part.

Batting first, India appeared to have put enough runs on the board in Ranchi, posting 249 for five, while Mayank's early breakthroughs put them in the driver's seat. But the West Indies, unfazed by the early setbacks, kept hitting back in ideal batting conditions to register their highest-ever run chase.

Among the bright spots for India in this series has been skipper Shreyas Iyer rediscovering his touch after a short session with former batting coach Abhishek Nayar before leaving for the tour.

With an unbeaten 102 and a quickfire 40 off 18 balls, Iyer has found his rhythm as well as solutions to key issues such as generating power and dominating bowlers, areas he felt had slipped away.

Sanju Samson's 82 off 41 balls to end his lean run with the bat may keep Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the mix, as Gambhir once again reiterated the importance of flexibility in the middle order, though not at the top, after the game in Ranchi.

The head coach also admitted that India will continue to experiment with their combinations after Shivam Dube walked out at No. 4 ahead of Iyer. Even though Dube managed only seven runs, India are not expected to read too much into it.

But India would certainly want more from their premier pacer, Arshdeep Singh, who has conceded 79 runs in two matches while claiming just one wicket.

Mayank cranked up the pace to take two wickets upfront and three overall, and India would hope the right-arm quick continues in the same vein.

Along with Hope's exploits, the visitors will be pleased to see Rutherford return to form with two half-centuries in the first two matches of the series.

Roston Chase's standout figures of 3/24 amid India's charge to another imposing total were also a positive for the visitors, who may consider replacing Shamar Springer after he leaked 64 runs from four overs while taking two wickets.

Teams (from)

India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson (wk), Naman Dhir, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Tilak Varma (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Prince Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav.

West Indies: Shai Hope (c & wk), Jewel Andrew (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Amir Jangoo (wk), Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie.

Match starts at 7:00 PM IST.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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