3 things West Indies need to do to take a 3-0 T20I series lead vs India
The once mighty West Indies have hit all-time lows in all formats, none more so than their inability to qualify for the T20I World Cup last year and the ODI World Cup this year. However, they are in sight of a rare hot streak in T20Is, winning four of their previous five games.
Having beaten South Africa 2-1 earlier this year, the hosts now have an improbable 2-0 lead on the formidable Indian unit, with three games to go. Should they win one of the upcoming three matches in the series, It would be the first series win in any format for the West Indies against India since 2017.
On the contrary, Team India has been unbeaten overall in a bilateral T20I series since 2021, winning their last 12 series. They have also never lost a five-match T20I series, winning three of their four series, with the other being a draw.
Included is the home series against South Africa last year, where the Men in Blue overcame a similar 0-2 deficit to draw the series 2-2.
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The number one T20I side has been dismantled by the West Indies! 💪🏻
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All that said, the West Indies put on a commanding all-round performance in the opening two games and would look to carry the momentum and take an unassailable 3-0 series win. However, they will beware of the wounded Indian side and their proud record in bilateral series over the years.
With that in mind, let us look at three things West Indies needs to do to take a 3-0 T20I series lead vs India.
#1 Persist with the right-left batting order to mitigate the threat of the Indian spinners
T20 cricket often comes down to matchups, with teams maneuvering the batting order and choosing the ideal time for a bowler to bowl to a specific batter. West Indies have been astute to realize that the Indian bowling attack would be spin-dominant and have their top six alternate between right and left-handers.
Following the openers Brandon King (right-hander) and Kyle Mayers (left-hander), the No. 3 to No. 6 in the batting order boasts two right and left-handers each in Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, and Shimron Hetmyer.
The strategy has paid rich dividends, with Team India using the left-arm spin of Axar Patel for just two overs in the first two matches. While he bowled two expensive overs for 22 runs in the opening game, Axar did not bowl in the second rubber. Following a 21-wicket year in T20Is in 2022, one of India's most reliable spinners has been rendered ineffective thanks to the savvy move.
Key to this has been the presence of Nicholas Pooran, who scored 41, followed by a breathtaking 67 in the two games.
The hosts will do well to continue having a right-left batting combination batting at all times, considering the three-pronged spin attack India are likely to field.
# 2 Continue their lid on the Indian openers
West Indies have done a magnificent job keeping the destructive Indian openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan at bay in both games. While Gill has scored just the lone half-century in the tour, Kishan has cooled off after three consecutive half-centuries in the ODI series.
The duo registered scores of just 6 and 3 in the opening game, and despite Kishan showing a semblance of form in the second T20I, the opening stand was a mere 16 runs at run-a-ball.
With an unsettled middle order and a long tail, the opening frailties has resulted in the middle order playing cautiously and in two minds. The hosts will acknowledge having to dismiss the two openers cheaply again to come away with a third successive victory.
On the flip side, on the one occasion when Gill and Kishan crossed fifty each, Team India smashed a mammoth 351 in the final ODI, further proving their impact on the Indian batting performance.
Gill's struggles against slow-left-arm spin have been well-documented, so Akeal Hosein could play a crucial role in dismissing the elegant right-hander for a second time in the series.
# 3 Capitalize on having a free swing with India on the ropes
Coming into the T20I series, India were expected to steamroll the hosts, possibly by a 5-0 scoreline, considering the recent history of both teams.
The West Indies have won one of their last five bilateral T20I series to go along with not qualifying for the World Cup last year. On the other hand, India has been unbeaten in a T20I series for over two years and dominant against the Men from the Caribbean over the last several years.
Given the above circumstances, the West Indies have no pressure on them heading into the third game, while the visitors have been heavily criticized by experts and fans back home for their dismal showing in the first two matches.
The hosts should capitalize on this intangible aspect and ride the momentum by continuing to play free-spirited cricket, with Hardik Pandya's men possibly getting weighed down by the pressure of being in a must-win situation.
It further helps that the West Indies have a winning record in T20Is at Guyana, the venue for the third game, where they beat India in the second game.