Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Time: 7:00 PM IST
Average score at venue (1st inns): 176
Win percentage while batting first: 66.67%
Pitch conditions:
- Another run-fest can be expected on Sunday night for the third and final T20I between India and the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In the first two games, both the teams scored in excess of 150 and batsmen will look to continue making merry.
- The Eden Gardens has remained a favourable venue for spin bowlers who have an impressive wicket-share percentage of 55.88% compared to the fast bowlers’ 44.12%.
Weather prediction:
The third and final game of the series could be hampered by rains as there are predictions of scattered thunderstorms in Kolkata on Sunday night. Even though the drainage system and facility are world-class at the Eden Gardens, crucial time could get lost if it rains during the match hours. The temperature is expected to be around 25°C at the start of play, which will drop down to 22°C by the end. The humidity levels will be way beyond 80%.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD (overall):
Matches played: 19
India won: 12
West Indies won: 6
Tied: -
No result: 1
In India:
Matches played: 9
India won: 7
West Indies won: 2
Tied: -
No result: -
Top 3 players from India: Venkatesh Iyer, Rohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Top 3 players from West Indies: Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran, Roston Chase
Top picks for H2H/WTA contest (top 5 players each):
Top 5 players from India: Venkatesh Iyer, Rohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Suryakumar Yadav
Top 5 players from West Indies: Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran, Kyle Mayers, Roston Chase, Kieron Pollard
Q&A:
Should I pick more bowlers, batsmen or all-rounders?
The first two matches of the series witnessed batsmen making big contributions from both the camps. In the second match of the series, both India and West Indies have had two batsmen each making half-centuries as the two teams scored around 180 runs, which means that the pitch at the Eden Gardens will continue to favour batsmen as well as spin bowlers. It will be wise to have a long batting lineup with plenty of aggressive batsmen while it must be remembered that India have rested their former captain Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant from this contest. Adding more to the batting strength and getting enough spin bowling options will be the right approach for making fantasy cricket playing XI.
From which team should I pick more players in my XI? Which team is stronger?
The West Indies have proved over the last two matches that they have plenty of firepower in their ranks, even though they have their own shortcomings against spin bowling and batting the way they do, against this particular combination of Indian bowling attack. On the other hand, India have had several performances for them both with the bat and a ball marking it a series with all-round performances in the first two matches. But since spin bowlers tilt the scales in favour of the home team, India come across, or rather, have been the stronger side among these two teams and should have more players featuring in the playing XI.
MORE INFORMATION: India have rested their former captain Virat Kohli and explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant from the final match as reports have suggested that these two players will also miss the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, which follows right after. The absence of two key players in the top-order means that India are likely to give chances to others such as Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who have waited in the wings in this series. The West Indies seemed to have fielded a perfect playing XI with the inclusion of Jason Holder to their side in the second match, and they are not likely to make any changes going into the third and final contest.
Players’ form: Kohli scored a vital half-century for India holding their middle-order together in the second match whereas Pant came up with an explosive knock which powered them to a total beyond 180. Both these batsmen are set to miss the third and final match as they have been rested by the Indian cricket board and the onus now falls on the likes of R Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer to keep the team ahead as far as batting is concerned. With the ball, the senior bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was absolutely brilliant in the penultimate over of the second game whereas Harshal Patel also chipped in with a vital spell that helped India win by 8 runs. For the West Indies, Nicolas Pooran has been in terrific form and innings from Rovman Powell in the second game was as good as any witnessed in the format in recent times.
Changes in squad (if any): NO
Likely XIs:
INDIA: R Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal
WEST INDIES: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Roston Chase, Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard (c), Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Sheldon Cottrell
Fantasy XI: R Sharma (c), Kyle Mayers, Ishan Kishan, Nicholas Pooran (vc&wk), Rovman Powell, Suryakumar Yadav, Odean Smith, Yuzvendra Chahal, Akeal Hosein, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
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India eye West Indies whitewash in third T20I
With the series decided in their favour, India will look to push on for a clean sweep of the West Indies in the T20 international series when the two teams meet in the third and final match at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday night. With predictions of scattered thunderstorms, it remains to be seen if bad weather hampers the contest which once again promises to be an exciting one as far as batting is concerned.
India had two of their batsmen in Kohli and Pant smacking vital half-centuries that pushed their total to 186/5 in 20 overs after the Caribbean side won the toss and invited them to bat. Indian did look like the team on top with a daunting total on the board, which was shown achievable by the West Indies’ pair of Nicolas Pooran and Rovman Powell, who added 100 runs for the third wicket in a stunning partnership that took their side agonisingly close to victory.
Pooran has been in terrific form having scored half-centuries in as many matches in the series after having a quiet ODI series with the bat. The left-handed Caribbean batsmen has been in full flow, garnering runs on both the sides of the wicket while holding their middle-order together to keep them afloat. On the other hand, Powell came up with a typical Caribbean innings full of flavour and power hitting, with some of his strokes unleashed with tremendous power and precision.
The West Indies will be disappointed having not batted well enough to go past the finish line in the second T20 despite making all the promises to do so. The 8-run defeat certainly looks a narrow one for the West Indies, but it should not take any sheen off the effort given by Indian bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel, who countered all the odds stacked against them to not allow the Caribbean side score 36 runs from 18 balls when they were likely to do so.
Bhuvneshwar and Patel handled challenging conditions of a wet ball, short boundaries with tremendous dew on the ground and an on-song pair of Pooran and Powell with perfection, to not allow West Indies record a series-levelling victory, and instead giving India an unassailable lead in the three-match affair.
With Pant and Kohli rested, India will have Ishan Kishan keeping the wickets whereas the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer favourites to make a comeback into the side. The West Indies are not expected to tinker with their playing XI given that the addition of Jason Holder only bolstered their all-round firepower in the second match.
