India vs West Indies Match Prediction: Who will win today's 3rd T20I match?
There are several records that could be broken when West Indies face off against India in the third T20I of the five-match series on Tuesday, August 8. The Providence Stadium in Guyana will host this contest.
West Indies haven't beaten India in a T20I series since 2016, while the Men in Blue have also never lost a five-match T20I series before. Hardik Pandya has also won every shortest-format rubber he has captained the national side in so far.
However, India have their backs against the wall, and West Indies have their hands wrapped around the visitors' throats. Having clinched the opening two matches in Trinidad and Guyana respectively, the Men in Maroon could upset the applecart with an unprecedented series win.
The fact that India are viewing this series as preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup is obvious. This is not just because of their general focus being the marquee ICC event, but also because the tournament will be held in the Caribbean and the USA.
Conditions will be similar to the ones on offer during the ongoing series, and Hardik and Co. haven't taken to them too well.
Will India be able to breathe some life into the series ahead of its USA leg? Or will West Indies get the job done as soon as possible?
India vs West Indies Match Prediction: Men in Blue on the brink in Guyana
The slow wickets in the Caribbean have tormented the Indian batters so far in the T20I series. There has been only one half-century from the visitors across the two matches, with Tilak Varma being the standout batter despite making his debut only in the opening game.
Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan have looked off-color, and it might be time for India to unleash Yashasvi Jaiswal, who tormented the Windies in the preceding Test series. A couple of changes to the bowling combination might also be in the order.
Nicholas Pooran, who is equally proficient against both pace and spin, particularly in the attacking sense, has been the real difference between the two sides. The southpaw has made sure to let the opposition know that the conditions don't really matter to him.
If India can't find a way to dismiss Pooran early, he could take the game away from them once again. He has also been helped by Hardik employing some bizarre bowling strategies over the last two matches. If they do, however, the West Indian batting lineup could come apart easily.
While anything can happen in a game of cricket, India are the better side on paper. They've failed to clinch key moments so far, with that being the reason behind the blank next to their name on the series scoreline. Moreover, Pooran can't do it every time, despite his ongoing purple patch.
West Indies might even be the favorites heading into the third T20I, but India can be backed to take one step towards restoring parity.
Prediction: India to win the third T20I vs West Indies.