West Indies make four changes and bowl; Avesh Khan debuts for India

By Charlie On Feb 20, 2022

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India also make four changes, with Gaikwad among those getting a game

Toss: West Indies chose to bowl v India

West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl against India in the third T20I at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Captain Kieron Pollard said “nothing much had changed” on the surface and that dew was expected to make a big impact, which was why he opted to bat second.

Both sides had four changes each in the XI, with India’s partly forced, since they were without Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, who have both been given a bio-bubble break ahead of this third game, and which includes the T20I series against Sri Lanka that is to follow. Pacer Avesh Khan will make his international debut, coming in for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with India opting for a three-seamer attack. The others to get a game in are Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shardul Thakur, with Yuzvendra Chahal also rested.

India captain Rohit Sharma said that India would have a new opening combination, with Gaikwad partnering Ishan Kishan, who will also take the gloves in Pant’s absence. “We did pretty well in the last game, so feels pretty good,” Rohit said of batting first. “Good challenge for us with some of the guys missing.”

West Indies had Fabian Allen coming back into the XI along with Hayden Walsh Jr, Dominic Drakes and Shai Hope getting their first game of the series. Those sitting out were Brandon King, Odean Smith, Akeal Hossein and Sheldon Cottrell.

Pollard said the team had done a lot of things right in the first two games, but wanted to put it all together better in the third. “Yes we have lost two games but we have done some good things,” Pollard said. “The way we fielded in the second game is where we faltered, and bowling in the back end. Hopefully we can put the pieces together in this game.”

The same pitch as was used for the second T20I, but is still expected to favour batters.

India have already sealed the series, winning the first two T20Is. They won the first game by six wickets, having kept West Indies’ batters to a total of 157 for 7. Being asked to bat first in the second T20I, they still emerged victorious in a close match, winning by eight runs. They had already sealed the preceding ODI series 3-0, and will be looking for a similar sweep, while West Indies are looking to end their short but winless tour, with something to show for it.

India: 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Rohit Sharma (capt), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Suryakumar Yadav, 6 Venkatesh Iyer, 7 Harshal Patel, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Avesh Khan

West Indies: 1 Kyle Mayers, 2 Shai Hope, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Rovman Powell, 5 Kieron Pollard (capt), 6 Jason Holder, 7 Roston Chase, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Fabian Allen, 10 Dominic Drakes, 11 Hayden Walsh Jr

Saurabh Somani is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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