Another batting paradise greets India and West Indies in Hyderabad
Tomorrow
Match yet to begin
In the last two years, there have been scores of 310, 297, 286 and 277 in Hyderabad • AFP/Getty Images
Big picture - Out of frying pan, into fire?
Indore may have escaped without conceding any world records to the ravenous batting units of India and West Indies, but the series now moves to Hyderabad of all the places. It is a venue which has featured successful chases of 208 and 187 in T20Is, while there was also the night when India came to within a hit of 300, before eventually finishing with the second-highest score in T20Is played between ICC Full Member teams.
Hyderabad is also home to the most attacking IPL team, Sunrisers Hyderabad, whose batters Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen always set themselves up to score big.
Trailing 2-1 in the five-match series against India, West Indies won't really mind a batting paradise to remain alive in the series. Their batters are not accustomed to pitches that might stay low, like Indore did, or do something irregular.
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Only one match out of six on this tour has been won while defending a total, when India did so in Indore. India are still the slight favourites in Hyderabad, although they have conceded that failure to defend their biggest totals in T20Is, and their third-biggest in ODIs, has come during this tour. They will hope for just a little something for their bowlers to work with as insurance if they happen to lose the toss and have to defend a total.
Form guide
India: WLWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
West Indies: LWLWL
In the spotlight - Roston Chase and Abhishek Sharma
Roston Chase set up the win for West Indies in Ranchi with the wickets of Abhishek, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer. His canny bowling from over the wicket has proved effective against left-hand batters. He generally bowls hard lengths or yorkers, both of which have proved difficult to hit at will because of his height.
However, one man to get the better of Chase was Abhishek Sharma, who gave himself a sighter in the first over in Indore before making room and hitting Chase for two sixes and a four. Thanks to that comeback, Abhishek's head-to-head record against Chases reads 13 balls, two wickets, and 25 runs. This promises to be the contest to watch at Abhishek's IPL home ground.
Team news: Will Kuldeep stay out?
An extra seamer ahead of Kuldeep Yadav worked out for India in Indore, even though spin generally went well on the night. India might just stick with the same combination.
India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Naman Dhir, 7 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Prince Yadav, 10 Mayank Yadav, 11 Arshdeep Singh
West Indies will be sweating on Romario Shepherd's fitness. He was injured while bowling in Ranchi, but although he batted that night, he was pulled out of the next match in Indore.
West Indies (probable): 1 Shai Hope (capt, wk), 2 Kamil Pooran, 3 Shimron Hetmyer, 4 Rovman Powell, 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Romario Shepherd/Quentin Sampson, 7 Roston Chase, 8 Shamar Springer, 9 Keemo Paul, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Gudakesh Motie
Pitch and conditions
There should be more runs on offer on one of the higher-scoring venues in the IPL. In the last two years, there have been scores of 310, 297, 286 and 277 in Hyderabad, making it four out of the top eight scores in T20 cricket in India. If there is dew to go with it, bowlers better watch out. There will be no rain around to disrupt what should be another run fest.
Stats and trivia
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