India vs West Indies, 1st T20I in Lucknow: Asian Games gold meets a reloaded Caribbean side
The first of five T20Is between India and West Indies starts at 7pm on Tuesday, 6 October, under the lights at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. That is 16:30 in Moscow. India arrive with an Asian Games gold medal and very little sleep. West Indies arrive with an ODI chase still fresh in the memory and a squad rebuilt for the shorter format.
India: gold in the bag, jet lag in the legs
Three days ago India beat Pakistan in the Asian Games final in Japan, posting 211/6 and defending it by 19 runs. Abhishek Sharma struck 61 off 28 and Tilak Varma finished with 51* off 22. The defence was less comfortable. Hasan Nawaz made 96 off 51, and Shivam Dube's removal of Saim Ayub broke a recovery that had started to look dangerous.
The rest of the trip in Japan was a romp. In the semi-final stage Sri Lanka were bowled out for 45 in 9.5 overs after Ishan Kishan's 80* off 46. The Afghanistan game was washed out. In July, England's 257/3 in Southampton was a reminder that this attack can be taken apart in the middle and death overs: 128 runs conceded between overs seven and fifteen without a wicket.
A short turnaround tends to change selection, and Morne Morkel was frank about it: "I'm pretty sure Gautam will look to rotate" (Cricbuzz). Jasprit Bumrah is rested. Washington Sundar has been withdrawn to prepare for the New Zealand Tests and Naman Dhir takes his place (ICC). Shreyas Iyer captains, with Tilak as his deputy.
The interesting call is at the top. In Japan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opened with Abhishek and Sanju Samson batted lower down. Gautam Gambhir has made it clear the youngster may have to wait: "we want to create that security in that dressing room" (RevSportz). Read plainly, a couple of quiet innings in Japan should not cost Samson his place.
Arshdeep Singh leads the pace attack, and either Prince Yadav or Mayank Yadav joins him. Kuldeep Yadav looks ahead of Ravi Bishnoi, and Morkel calls him "a massive match-winner, he's confident, he's bowling well" (Hindustan Times). Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy are expected to cover later overs so that Mayank, if he plays, can be used with the new ball.
Cricbuzz's expected XI, not confirmed, is: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prince Yadav or Mayank Yadav (Cricbuzz). That is a lot of batting. Morkel says Abhishek has trained against specific plans for how opponents might get him out, so his aggression is more prepared than it looks.
West Indies: the big hitters return, the keepers ache
West Indies have not played a T20I since June, when they beat Sri Lanka 2-1 at Sabina Park. Shamar Joseph took 11 wickets across those three games, including 5/33 in the decider. Their previous meeting with India came in March at Eden Gardens. They posted 195/4 and still lost, because Sanju Samson made 97* off 50.
This squad looks nothing like the one India have just faced in the ODIs. Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd and Akeal Hosein have joined, Jason Holder is rested, and Kamil Pooran earns a maiden call-up after a breakout CPL (CWI). Pooran is tipped to open and is happy to tell you where he scores: "Square cut, cover drive - mainly offside. That's my strength, I would say" (NDTV). India's new-ball bowlers have presumably been listening too.
The worries are physical. Jewel Andrew hurt his finger taking a catch in the final ODI, and although scans showed no fracture, he is still being monitored, so Amir Jangoo has been added as cover (The Tribune/ANI). Shai Hope kept wicket, then opened and batted through that chase, and he felt his groin along the way. "Hopefully I'm match ready" is not the most reassuring thing a captain-keeper can say (Cricbuzz).
Still, that innings is the best thing the visitors bring to Lucknow. Hope placed the ball, absorbed India's squeeze through the middle and timed his acceleration. A run-out and a contentious dismissal at the other end did not rattle him (Cricbuzz). Hosein, meanwhile, has done his homework on Abhishek and Ishan. He also admits that "bowling in the Powerplay in general is pretty scary, especially when you're a spinner", and adds: "we are not going to back down" (NDTV/IANS).
Cricbuzz's expected XI, not confirmed, is: Kamil Pooran, Shai Hope (c, wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph. Daren Sammy frames the tour as building a core for the next World Cup. The middle order of Powell, Rutherford and Shepherd is there for the death overs, and that is where this side expects to hurt India.
Why India start as clear favourites
The surface could play two ways. Daytime showers are forecast before a clear, humid evening, and Cricbuzz thinks residual moisture could help the seamers early. myKhel expects the pitch to grip after the powerplay and points to the larger boundaries, while Outlook simply expects a good batting strip (myKhel). If dew settles later, the toss looks worth winning and bowling first looks the sensible choice.
The early contest I would watch is Axar Patel bowling with the new ball at Hope and Pooran, followed by Hosein bowling into Abhishek's prepared aggression. If India's quicks find the moisture, the Windies' new opener gets a stern introduction to international cricket. If the ball grips through the middle, Kuldeep becomes the bowler West Indies most need to survive.
The market is in no doubt: India at 1.23, West Indies at 4.29. Those odds make the hosts heavy favourites. I agree with that, though perhaps a shade less firmly. India's batting runs deep even with rotation and tired legs, but Bumrah's absence and that England evening suggest the defence can leak. West Indies will need Hope fit and their hitters firing at the death to make it close.
