WI vs IND 2022: 3 changes India can make in the 3rd T20I
West Indies beat India in the second T20I on August 1 by five wickets at St. Kitts and Nevis. The Caribbean side held their nerve to edge the Asian giants in the last over. The win came as a breather for West Indies, who lost the ODI series and the opening T20I against India.
Obed McCoy's brilliant spell helped West Indies restrict the visitors to 138. The hosts began the chase on a solid note as Brandon King set the platform with a well-knitted 68 on a tricky surface.
With West Indies needing 10 runs in the final over, captain Rohit Sharma opted to go with Avesh Khan over the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Caribbean batter Thomas slapped the youngster for a four and a six in consecutive deliveries to chase down the total with four balls to spare.
The third match is set to be held later today (August 2).
Two Matches within 24 hours!
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Keeping in mind that the next game is being held in 24 hours, let's take a look at three changes India could make for this third T20I:
#3 Sanju Samson
Shreyas Iyer has looked uncomfortable against short-pitched bowling. He failed with the bat once again yesterday, while batting at No.3. It might be time for India to give Sanju Samson a run of games.
With the T20I World Cup set to be held later this year, India will want to expand on their options ahead of the mega tournament.
Samson has looked solid whenever given the chance, be it as an opener or a middle-order batter. If India want to keep Iyer in the side, they could opt to bring in Samson for the out-of-form Suryakumar Yadav at the top of the order.
#2 Axar Patel
Avesh Khan has had a poor time with the ball in the West Indies. He was hit for runs in his ODI debut and had a poor outing with the ball once again yesterday. He conceded 29 runs in 2.2 overs, while the visitors were trying to defend 138 runs.
His economy rate of 8.48 in 10 T20Is is also a cause for concern. India could look to replace his pace with the wily spin of Axar Patel. The pitch at St. Kitts is sluggish and has good assistance for the slower bowlers.
Axar's line and length mixed with his variations could be a good option for Rohit Sharma in the third T20I.
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#1 Deepak Hooda
Despite his poor form of late, Suryakumar Yadav is more or less guaranteed a spot for the upcoming T20I World Cup. Hence, the think tank could opt to test Deepak Hooda in the remaining games in the Caribbean.
The all-rounder has made the most of the limited opportunities he has been given so far. His accurate off-spin can also be useful in containing the opposition in the middle overs, especially given the fact that the West Indies have a host of left-handed batters.
He has scored 205 runs in six T20Is, averaging 68.3 with the bat.