Blues Will Go All Out Against Windies in Bid for Semifinal Spot
Having played six games so far this Cup, the sides sure have enough in the tank to go full throttle as they step on the pedal for one final, powerful, push.
Kolkata: It’s been a topsy-turvy ride for Team India in the current World Cup — some scares in the group stage, a scar in the opening game of the Super Eights followed by a smash. On Sunday, Suryakumar Yadav’s side will look to slide into top gear against West Indies to ride their way into the semifinal of T20 cricket’s biennial showpiece.
The last league match of the tournament at the iconic Eden Gardens is virtually a quarterfinal with the winner taking the final spot in the Last Four to join South Africa, England and New Zealand in the penultimate stage of the event.
Having played six games so far this Cup, the sides sure have enough in the tank to go full throttle as they step on the pedal for one final, powerful, push.
Both teams are two-time champions. India won the inaugural event in 2007 and the previous one in 2024 while West Indies’ titles came in 2012 and 2016, the last one at this very venue, with a stunning win over England. Needing 19 off the last over while chasing 155, Carlos Brathwaite slammed sixes off the first four balls from Ben Stokes to turn the tables. Darren Sammy was the Caribbean captain then. He is their coach now. Brathwaite is a broadcast commentator and will certainly have a tip or two for the men in maroon.
Being hosts and defending champions India are truly under pressure. They have a fair idea of the opposition and know the Windies can be a handful should they fire collectively.
However, the good news is that the recent game against Zimbabwe cleared some of the hosts’ concerns around key players. Opener Abhishek Sharma’s half-century was a welcome sigh of relief, so also runs from batters right down the order. Captain Surya and attacking opener Ishan Kishan are leading the Indian batting chart while Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma have been providing able support in the middle order.
They will have to deal with West Indian bowlers who have been disciplined so far. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie has been troubling batsmen quite a bit and is their leading wicket-taker. Fast bowler Jason Holder has been putting up fine shows in all departments and will be a marked man on Sunday. Seamers Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Mathew Forde and spinner Akeal Hosein have been formidable and cannot be taken lightly.
The West Indian batting order seems endless, with power hitters in the ranks. Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder and Rovman Powell can turn the game on their own, a fact that India know only too well. The Blues will once again turn to swing king Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh to inflict early damage before turning to Varun Chakravarthy’s mystery spin to twist the screws. The medium pace of Dube and Pandya too should come in handy in this pulse-racing contest. Buckle up.