West Indies tri-series 2013: Match 4 - India vs WI - Five players to watch out for

The last India-WI match was a low-scoring thriller

India came to the tournament with a massive Champions Trophy victory behind them but two consecutive defeats in the West Indies indicate that a lot remains to be done.

The conditions are in stark contrast from those that India faced in England, the ball does not come onto the bat with the same pace whereas the spinners, though they are able to get some turn on the dry surfaces, are hampered by the lack of pace that allows the batsman to move on to the back-foot with ease.

The scene now shifts from Jamaica to the Port of Spain. The conditions might not change a great deal, but a new venue augurs well for India.

India missed captain MS Dhoni in that last match against Sri Lanka where the Indian bowlers were given a hiding at the hands of Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga. Such a defeat can dampen the morale of the side. Virat Kohli must step up with his batting and leadership abilities to guide India through this tough time. It is critical that India come back with vengeance against West Indies on Thursday.

The hosts, on the other hand, sit pretty at the top of the table, but they need to win another match to ensure their presence in the final. They have all the required resources to do so. Dwayne Bravo is likely to return to the side for the game, but Ravi Rampaul’s participation is under some doubt.

The performances of their top-order batsmen have set up victories for them in the previous matches with Chris Gayle and Johnson Charles contributing with match winning knocks. West Indies will be hoping that this trend continues.

Here is a list of five players who can make a difference to the eventual result of the game:

5. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

India missed the typical early breakthroughs provided by Bhuvneshwar Kumar against Sri Lanka

Kumar was left out of the bowling attack in the game against Sri Lanka in favour of Shami Ahmed.

The move turned out to be a big blunder as India thoroughly missed the early breakthroughs which the swing bowler has consistently delivered in the past. India can give Shami Ahmed yet another go against West Indies, but that should be at the expense of Umesh Yadav who needs to be rested as the pacer has been taking a lot of workload.

Furthermore, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has an excellent record against Chris Gayle. If he can some more early dents in the West Indian top-order, India will have a fair chance of dismissing them pretty cheaply.