3 things India needs to do to beat West Indies in 4th T20I
As the five-match T20I series heads to the USA, India would be eager to regain their dominance against West Indies by winning the last two matches. The Men in Blue have been tested in the series and still have a few questions to answer.
The first three matches produced challenging wickets where run-scoring wasn't particularly easy. However, the trend is expected to change in the USA.
Over the years, we have seen some high-scoring thrillers at Florida and the fans would be hoping for much of the same.
Bowlers from both teams will have their task cut out in Lauderhill, Florida, and the contest might boil down to the power of the two teams.
The Indian batters, in particular, will consider this a key match as it comes ahead of the much-anticipated Asia Cup and the biggest event of the year - the ODI World Cup.
That said, let us have a look at 3 things India need to do to beat West Indies in the 4th T20I.
#1 The spin factor
The spinners will hold the key in a relatively small ground in Florida. Both teams have some quality spinners in their ranks. It will be interesting to see whether India tinker with their combination for the penultimate T20I.
The ploy to go with an extra spinner might backfire but that could also work in their favour. The likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal is unlikely to play together in challenging conditions which might open a door for Axar Patel.
It will all boil down to the temperament or the spinners and how they handle the challenging situation. Kuldeep, in particular, has bamboozled the Windies batters in the tour and will look to have an impact in the final two games.
#2 Shubman Gill needs to score runs
One of the most exciting young talents going around, Shubman Gill has found things tough on this Caribbean tour. He would be hoping that the change of country also brings about a change in his fortune.
He has been an integral figure in the Indian white-ball set-up in the last year and a half. He came into the tour with stupendous form but couldn't quite materialise it into runs.
Gill is an exceptional striker of the ball and desperately needs some runs under his belt. Given his importance to the side, Gill scoring runs will boost India's chances of winning the 4th T20I and keeping the series alive.
#3 Stop the experimenting process
The Indian think-tank and management have decided to give chances to players who have been on the fringes of the national team on this tour. However, with Asia Cup and World Cup fast approaching, it has been a surprise to see many top players opting to rest and try out different combinations.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were rested for the last two ODIs and even in the T20Is, there have been several new faces. Hardik Pandya has pointed at the bigger picture but with the series at stake, it might not be the wisest of choice to tinker with the combination from the 3rd encounter.