India vs West Indies 3rd T20I Prediction: Who will win today's match?
India's star performers from their series-sealing win in the second T20I against West Indies, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, won't be part of the squad for the dead rubber at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, February 20. But the hosts will still start as favorites against a West Indian side that is improving but hasn't quite turned all the screws yet.
Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran sent shivers down India's spine with a breathtaking display of power hitting on Friday, but the duo's heroics went in vain as Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered a spectacular penultimate over. The senior India pacer might be rested for the third T20I, with his recent injury history being something that can't be taken lightly.
As West Indies captain Kieron Pollard stated after the second T20I, his men are slowly finding their feet against a quality opposition. Although they are winless on the tour so far, the Windies have shown clear signs of the danger they pose and will eye a morale-boosting win in the dead rubber. Meanwhile, India will want to keep their perfect record under Rohit Sharma intact.
India vs West Indies 3rd T20I: Men in Blue bound to experiment in dead rubber
India have several quality players on the bench - Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Avesh Khan, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav, to name a few. These players could be tested out in the third T20I, especially with the Sri Lanka series firmly on the horizon.
Rohit could open with Gaikwad, pushing the struggling Ishan Kishan into the middle order. While the young southpaw is undoubtedly more suited to the opening role, he might welcome a change in scenery given how lost he has looked in the last two games. The additional responsibility of wicket-keeping, in Rishabh Pant's absence, is also something that India will consider while making a decision.
For West Indies, Pooran and Roston Chase have been their standout performers. While the left-hander has notched up twin fifties in the series, albeit with a reprieve or two, Chase has stifled the Indian batters with his accurate off-spin and also has five wickets to his name. How India will counter the spin threat of Chase and Akeal Hosein will be one of the major talking points of the third T20I.
While West Indies have the batting resources to clinch a consolation win, especially if the toss goes in their favor, India start as the favorites for the third T20I despite being without Kohli and Pant. The Men in Blue are clicking in both departments and can be backed to secure another whitewash.
Prediction: India to win the third T20I vs West Indies