Kolkata, Nov 3 (UNI) Though India's supremacy in Tests and ODIs proved unquestionable
in the current home series against tourists West Indies with 2-0 and 3-1 win respectively,
the home side is likely face a new order of challenge in the T20s at Eden Gardens on
Sunday where the Caribbeans had reigned supreme in shorted version of play in 2016
The picturesque Eden Gardens at dusk normally become a dangerous turf and
unpredictable for any side in the world due to dew condition, bits of winds from Ganga
and cries of over 66,000 spectators are enough to make any batsman stand steadily
before a rushing bowler and fielders around green surface.
The tourists may like these atmosphere for blasting cricket and bat freely to follow
the path as they broke the trails two years ago here when their men and women
roped home the world championship.
Currently India won the Test series ( 2-0) against the Caribbeans easily, but after
the one-sided Test series, the visitors surprised the hosts competitiveness in white
ball game.
They won one and forced a tie in the five (3-1) ODIs. What was supposed to be
an irrelevant and unmatched affair, turned out to be a hard-fought and nerve-racking
affairs until the third ODI.
The first of the three T20s at Eden where the BCCI selectors announced a
16-member squad against the West Indies, which took the fans by storm as
stumper and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was not considered.
Apart from him Virat Kohli has been rested for the series, while Rohit Sharma
will bear captaincy duties in his absence and this will be his fifth full time
assignment as skipper.
However, it is hoped that India would like to grab early honours in the shortest
version of game. Besides Eden Gardens, India will host the Caribbeans at
Lucknow and Chennai on November 6 and 11.
After a dominating performance in the fourth ODI, India and West Indies locked
horns in Thiruvananthapuram for the final ODI. West Indies had one last chance to
salvage something out of the tour as they had a chance to level the ODI series.
Skipper Jason Holder won the toss and decided to bat first. But it never looked
like West Indies’ day as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah took a wicket
each in the first two overs to immediately put the visitors on the back foot.
It never looked liked West Indies was going to make any sort of a comeback as
wickets kept falling at regular intervals. But full credit goes to the Indian bowlers
who were disciplined throughout the innings.
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