3 areas of concern for Team India ahead of 2nd T20I vs West Indies
Team India secured a crucial 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series, defeating West Indies by six wickets in the first game at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Bowling first after winning the toss, the Men in Blue did well to restrict the Windies to 157 for 7. Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi made a memorable T20I debut, claiming 2 for 17. Apart from the leggie, Harshal Patel also did well, picking up a couple of important scalps.
Team India’s chase was led by captain Rohit Sharma, who clobbered 40 in only 19 balls with the aid of four fours and three sixes. After Rohit’s dismissal, Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer took the hosts over the line with impressive knocks. While Suryakumar was unbeaten on 34 off 18, Iyer hit 24 not out off 13.
IND vs WI 2022: Things Team India need to work on
Although the Men in Blue won the opening T20I against West Indies, there are a few boxes they still need to tick. Here's an analysis.
#1 Virat Kohli’s poor returns
Virat Kohli has been going through a wretched run of late. It was hoped that without the pressure of captaincy, he would be able to recapture his old glory with the willow. But that hasn’t quite been the case. Irrespective of what Rohit Sharma has to say, the fact is that Kohli has been short on runs and confidence and hasn’t looked in rhythm.
In the three-match ODI series against West Indies, he registered scores of 8, 18 and 0. In the first game, he came out and smashed consecutive fours but fell immediately after, looking to play another big stroke. It was an unusual innings and an indication of his confused mindset. He hasn’t been able to find his bearings since.
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Earlier, in the series in South Africa, Kohli scored two fifties in three one-day matches. However, he was not his usual self. In three games, he scored 116 runs at an average of 38.67 but his strike rate was below par at 76.32. The 33-year-old needs to try and find a way to balance caution and aggression.
#2 Frittering away good starts with the bat
Not only Kohli, India’s middle order has been inconsistent for a while in white-ball cricket. They have been unable to build on good platforms set by the top order. The same story played out in Kolkata in the first T20I as well, with the Men in Blue slipping from 93 for 1 to 114 for 4 before eventually being rescued by Suryakumar and Iyer.
If we look at the ODI series against West Indies, the pattern was quite similar. They went from 84 for no loss to 116 for 4 in the first match and 152 for 3 to 187 for 6 in the third one-dayer. While they managed to get away with it against a relatively weak side like West Indies, stronger teams will make them pay.
South Africa took perfect advantage of Team India’s uncertainty in the middle order during the one-day series. India were 138 for 1 in the first match, 179 for 2 in the second and 116 for 1 in the third. Yet, they ended up being blanked 0-3. The Indian side needs to find better resistance from the middle order sooner rather than later.
#3 Leaking runs in death overs
Although Team India won the opening T20I against West Indies with ease, their bowlers allowed the visitors to get away at the end. The Windies were reeling at 94 for 5 after 14 overs, but recovered to post a competitive 157 for 7. India need to be sharper at the death.
Even in the one-day series, while India’s bowlers were impressive overall, they failed to run through the West Indies lower order. The visitors were 79 for 7 in the first ODI and recovered to post 176. In the second match, they finished on 193 after being 76 for 5. And while the hosts completed a whitewash in the final game, they again allowed West Indies to reach 169 after having them on the mat at 82 for 7.
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- By @Moulinparikh 
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On paper, Team India have been the stronger side in all four matches of the series against West Indies so far. But the patterns that are emerging in each department are worrying. The Men in Blue need to start tightening the screws, with bigger challenges coming up.