India vs Windies, 1st T20I: Match preview and other details
After a gruesome outing in the ICC World Cup 2019, India would be once again in action as they take on Windies in the opening T20I in Florida on Saturday. This overseas tour will witness three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests. As India get set for a fight in an unknown territory, we present the match preview and other details regarding this tie.
Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey in focus for India
Talking about India's team, the focus would be on the return of youngsters Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey. Pandey is a T20 specialist and has a healthy exposure of 28 T20Is for India. Iyer, on the other hand, has relatively less experience. However, courtesy of his fine performance in the IPL 2019 with Delhi Capitals (DC), he is being touted to make an impact.
Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine to give Windies the edge
As for Windies, the onus would be once again on the returning duo of all-rounder Kieron Pollard and mystery spinner Sunil Narine. Pollard, who had a great title-winning campaign with Mumbai Indians (MI), would look to continue in the same vein. Meanwhile, Narine would look to contribute with his mystery spin, and also with the bat, lower down the order.
A thrilling head-to-head encounter awaits
Considering the head-to-head clash between the sides, it has been an intense battle so far. In 11 T20Is, both the sides have won five apiece. However, since this match is being played in the USA, both the teams have clashed on two occasions at this ground, with Windies winning on one occasion, while a match resulted in no contest.
A high-scoring track could await the fans
To date, the venue has hosted eight T20Is, with the ground being a prominent home venue for the Windies. The track is known to be batting-friendly, with the highest score being 245, scored by the Windies against India. Thus, chances are that even if not 200, an average score between 170-180 is likely tomorrow.
Here's the predicted XI for both the sides
India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Manish Pandey, Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed. Windies: Evin Lewis, John Campbell, Nicholas Pooran (wicket-keeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Kieron Pollard, Jason Mohammed, Carlos Brathwaite (captain), Keemo Paul, Sunil Narine, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas.
Key battles to watch out for
Following are the key battles that could make the match even thrilling to watch: Rohit Sharma vs Sheldon Cottrell Virat Kohli vs Sunil Narine Evin Lewis vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar Kieron Pollard vs Khaleel Ahmed
When, where and how to watch
Match: India vs Windies, 1st T20I Venue: Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida Time: 8 PM IST Where to watch (TV): Sony Ten 1 (English) and Sony Ten 3 (Hindi). Also available in HD. Where to watch (Online): Sony LIV
