Then, who steps in for Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant? Both the key players have left the India bio-bubble, a welcome break for them. Both, incidentally scored 52 apiece in the second T20I on Friday and were the architects in a victory that underlined India’s thorough domination over the Calypso Kings in a format that the latter consider as their strongest.
The weatherman has forecast some rain in the afternoon, adding twist to India’s quest for a sweep. It was a relief to see Kohli back among runs on Friday, even though the lean patch was always going to be a transient phase. One wonders whether he would have taken a break for Sunday’s game had he endured another failure on Friday.
With the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda on the bench for the first two T20Is, there is enough quality to replace the rested duo in the playing eleven. In fact, India can replace a couple of bowlers too and still carry the favourites tag.
Mohammad Siraj and Avesh Khan would be hoping for some game time. With the series done and dusted, experimentation could well be the buzzword, with the think-tank keen to try out as may permutations and combinations as possible before settling down on the squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
Despite the thrust on experiments, the main focus would be to complete the sweep. Making it 6-0 would be the kind of satisfaction India would want in a World Cup year. For the West Indies, Sunday will be their last chance to salvage some pride. They are always dangerous in this format, in which one exceptional innings can turn a match on its head.
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