India vs West Indies 2019: Bowlers under focus as India eye series parity
Question marks surround India's bowling resources as the cricketing wagon moves to Visakhapatnam.
Shimron Hetmyer joined forces with Shai Hope in Chepauk as West Indies overhauled India's 287, brutally exposing a demoralized attack. The Windies batsmen struck an equilibrium between caution and aggression during their gigantic 218-run partnership, allowing the hosts little opportunity to wrestle back the advantage.
The absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has created a dearth of wicket-taking options for Virat Kohli. Dropping leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for the series opener meant India fielded just four specialist bowlers, and hence part-timers Kedar Jadhav and Shivam Dube had to make up the quota of overs.
Dube proved mighty expensive, leaking 68 off 7.5 overs as Hetmyer feasted on his gentle bouncers. The visitors comfortably negotiated paceman Mohammed Shami too, while the spinners labored fruitlessly throughout.
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With the series at stake, India will need their frontline bowlers to bounce back and deliver the goods in Vizag.
Moreover, India's fielding needs improvement too. The groundwork appeared lackluster as Shreyas Iyer shelled an easy chance to present Hetmyer a reprieve - which he made the most of. Considering Windies' firepower and batting depth, the importance of grasping opportunities becomes paramount.
Rishabh Pant showed glimpses of the potential that his supporters have been raving about for a while now. Having drawn criticism on numerous occasions for prematurely unleashing his attacking strokeplay, the youngster watchfully constructed his innings before swinging into high gear.
Pant's collaboration with Iyer helped India recover from a top-order wobble and achieve a respectable first-innings total. The flamboyant left-hander has managed to silence his doubters, albeit briefly, and consolidate his position in the heavyweight batting line-up.
Historically, the Vizag stadium is known for producing absolute belters. However, in recent times, the pitch has also been offering a bit of assistance to tweakers. The uneven bounce can sometimes make chasing targets extremely difficult.
Chahal's wrist spin would naturally come back into prominence as India look to address their bowling woes in the series decider on Wednesday.
Kohli's men have emerged as formidable powerhouses in limited-overs cricket over the years, and the defeat at Chennai would have definitely bruised their ego. Expect fireworks as India look to combat the mercurial Windies in the second one-dayer, hoping to keep the series alive.