T20 Series: Game 3
Stadium: Providence Stadium, Guyana, West Indies
8st August 2023.
West Indies will be facing off against India in the third T20 of the Indian tour of West Indies at Providence Stadium, Guyana, West Indies. West Indies have had a rough month and a half but they were able to win in the first two games of the series which will fill them with hope. They have the opportunity to win the series with a win. Who will win this game?
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!West Indies form
The West Indies team appears to have found their rhythm once again, securing consecutive victories in a bilateral T20 series against India for the first time since 2016. Their aim now is to clinch the series by emerging victorious in this upcoming match.
Nicholas Pooran has been displaying exceptional form, seemingly boosted by his recent successes in the IPL and the MLC. His impressive performance has played a pivotal role in steering his team towards victories, making him the leading run-scorer of the tournament. However, the onus now falls on other batsmen to rise to the occasion. Kyle Mayers and Brandon King have yet to provide the team with a solid opening.
In the middle order, Shimron Hetmeyer and Rovman Powell will play crucial roles for the host team. The West Indian batsmen's ability to handle the Indian spinners will significantly influence the match's outcome. Romario Shepherd possesses the potential to be a capable all-rounder, but his batting skills require refinement.
Nonetheless, Shepherd has delivered impressive performances with the ball, securing 2 wickets in each game. The team will rely on him to deliver another impactful bowling spell. Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hosein, and Jason Holder have also contributed significantly to the team's commendable performance.
West Indies Lineup
Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Keacy Carty, Romario Shepherd, Yannic Cariah, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales
India form
Following back-to-back losses, all attention now turns to skipper Hardik Pandya and his ability to orchestrate a comeback for his team. Pandya's decision-making has raised eyebrows, such as sidelining India's premier spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and utilizing Axar Patel primarily as a batsman in the second T20 match.
India seems to be facing a deficiency in batting depth, as evidenced by the challenges posed by a lengthy tail, which has ultimately impacted the team's performance. Ishan Kishan's ongoing struggles in T20 matches this year have persisted, and his performance at the top of the order has been subpar. Shouldn't this be the appropriate juncture to introduce Yashasvi Jaiswal?
Likewise, the form displayed by Shubhman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav during the IPL has not been replicated in the current context. A notable discovery for Team India in this series has been Tilak Varma, who is set to play a crucial role in the team's future endeavors. Ravi Bishnoi, who replaced Kuldeep Yadav in the previous match, was unable to secure wickets and conceded runs at a notable rate.
Chahal and Pandya have performed adequately with the ball, each capturing 4 wickets, while Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar have proven to be somewhat expensive.
India Predicted Lineup
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar
Expert betting tips
The Providence Stadium pitch is notably firm and provides a substantial degree of bounce. A light covering of grass on the surface is anticipated to provide assistance to the seamers in the initial stages. However, the pitch does possess a slightly uneven nature, resulting in variable bounce, making it conducive for spinners to play a significant role throughout the match. An ideal score hovers around 160 runs. As for the weather, warm and humid conditions are expected, accompanied by occasional light drizzles. We expect India to improve their batting and win the game.