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IND vs WI 2nd T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey

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December 8, 2019 at 11:02 am

IND vs WI 2nd T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs WI 2nd T20 Prediction Today | India vs West Indies 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction

The hitting ability of the West Indies on show. Followed by the delectable late cuts of KL Rahul. Then; the main meal, a number of scintillating flicks for six by Virat Kohli.

The first T20I was not one for the bowlers. India’s chase of 200+ was a true reflection of their chasing ability in T20Is, cantering to the total as if it were child’s play. For the West Indies, there were positives to take out of the first game, but if they are to keep the series alive, they need greater discipline with the ball.

Key to an India win

Persisting with Shikhar Dhawan over KL Rahul is one of the mistakes India have made in T20Is. KL Rahul completes an excellent top three in T20Is; one where if at least two get going, a big total awaits.

Indeed, the same template as Hyderabad applies here. If India’s top three can put the Windies on the back foot, the game could well be theirs, irrespective of whether they bat first – an Achilles heel for India over the years.

Also read: 4 mistakes India are making in T20Is that could prove costly

But, India’s poor bowling and fielding is an area for improvement. They were often too short with the ball, with their poor fielding adding insult to injury. It didn’t cost them in Hyderabad, but the second T20I is an opportunity to get things right against the Windies’ hard-hitting batsmen.

IND vs WI 2nd T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs WI 2nd T20 Prediction Today | India vs West Indies 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction — IND vs WI 2nd T20I Dream11: Virat Kohli was in amazing touch in the opening T20I.

Key to a West Indies win

Contributions right the way down the order was a pleasing aspect of West Indies’ first up performance. However, with spinners traditionally performing well at the Greenfield International Stadium, the Windies’ batsmen will need to rotate strike well to keep the momentum going.

However, can the Windies’ bowlers bounce back after a tough outing? Kesrick Williams; so encouraging against Afghanistan, perhaps deserves another chance to flummox batsmen with his variations. But, as a whole, the Windies need more than just Sheldon Cottrell holding his own. Can they get the better of India’s dangerous top three?

Possible Playing 11

India could stick with the same team that won in Hyderabad.

India: 1. Rohit Sharma, 2. KL Rahul, 3. Virat Kohli (c), 4. Rishabh Pant (wk), 5. Shreyas Iyer, 6. Shivam Dube, 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Washington Sundar, 9. Deepak Chahar, 10. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

Keemo Paul was left out of West Indies’ team for the first T20I. There could be a case to pick him given his wicket-taking abilities. Also, Nicholas Pooran is set to return after serving a four-match suspension for ball-tampering.

West Indies: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Brandon King, 4. Shimron Hetmyer, 5. Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6. Kieron Pollard (c), 7. Jason Holder, 8. Khary Pierre, 9. Kesrick Williams, 10. Sheldon Cottrell, 11. Hayden Walsh

Pitch and Conditions

Hot, muggy conditions are forecast for Thiruvananthapuram, with a chance of rain. In regards to the pitch – spinners have typically enjoyed their time on this ground. In the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the spinners did well, averaging 20.85 and conceding 6.35 runs per over across 14 matches.

Stats and Facts

Rohit Sharma (433) and Virat Kohli (412) are the top run-scorers in India-West Indies T20Is.
Also, Rohit and Kohli are neck-and-neck in the all-time T20I run-scoring chart. Rohit currently leads by three runs (2,547 vs 2,544).
West Indies have played one match at this ground: an ODI in 2018. They were bowled out for 104.
Shimron Hetmyer’s scores in India across ODIs and T20Is since 2018: 106, 94, 37, 13, 9, 10, 15, 26, 56.
West Indies have lost seven T20Is in a row vs India.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

Weather permitting, India look good for another win over West Indies. The Windies’ will have their moments, but the experience of India will shine through.

Thanks for reading!

Also read: Check out CricBlog’s IPL Auction articles, covering five players each team should buy.

4 Mistakes India are Making in T20Is that Could Prove Costly

Saurabh Shinde

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December 8, 2019 at 9:55 am

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4 Mistakes India are Making in T20Is that Could Prove Costly | India in T20Is | Can India win World T20 2020?

In the T20I series vs West Indies, India recorded a solid 2-1 series victory, courtesy of some outrageous batting from the Indian top order.

However, though the two victories were convincing, India have been making key errors in T20Is for a while now. Despite having a few of the best players in the world and lots of exciting talent at the helm, India hasn’t shown the kind of dominance they do in the other two formats of the game.

Losing a game per series has been a norm for India. Even though it is fine once in a while, India has been a side which hasn’t been quick in learning from mistakes and are still lagging behind a few other teams in this format. Here, we look at the things that India have been doing wrong, and how they can take advantage of their biggest strength.

Error #1: Preferring Shikhar Dhawan over KL Rahul

KL Rahul has a fantastic record in T20Is. While batting in the first T20I vs West Indies, Rahul became the joint third fastest to 1,000 T20I runs, taking only two more innings than Virat Kohli.

It is absurd that he hasn’t been a part of the team in this format on so many occasions. Supremely talented, he has all the shots in the book. He has superb balance at the crease and can play shots all around the ground. But, India has constantly dropped him from the playing XI or have batted him in the middle order, while playing Shikhar Dhawan at the top.

Even though Shikhar’s T20 game has improved, he still lags behind his other partners in terms of strike rate. He often struggles to get going.

On the other hand, KL bats at a very healthy strike rate from the start of the game. Also, his hitting prowess vs spin bowling means he can keep going in the middle overs. KL Rahul for Dhawan should be no brainer. Now, since Dhawan is injured and KL has scored two back-to-back fifties at a good rate, it seems like India will finally persist with him.

4 Mistakes India are Making in T20Is that Could Prove Costly | India in T20Is | Can India win World T20 2020? — KL Rahul has to be a regular for India in T20Is.

Error #2: Slowing Down After Powerplay

A major issue with India; particularly batting first, is that they are often not sure about the ideal score. Very often they are found wanting short of the ideal score because they are too slow in the middle overs. Many times, India has slowed down despite getting a quickfire start, mainly because the likes of Shikhar Dhawan find it hard to clear the boundary rope once fielding restrictions are lifted.

Also, India’s middle-order, apart from Virat Kohli, doesn’t inspire much confidence either. Shreyas Iyer has played a couple of really good knocks but he is yet to be tested against quality pace bowling. Rishabh Pant, who is a dynamic T20 player and can hit boundaries on a consistent basis, hasn’t found his feet, which has added to India’s woes.

The proof? India have a 14-3 record while chasing since the beginning of 2018. When setting a score, this becomes nine wins, eight losses.

Error #3: Wasting Opportunities On The Wrong Players

India has often been guilty of mixing formats when selecting their squad; especially for T20Is.

Someone like Mohammed Shami, who has barely done anything in the shortest format of the game, is being included because of his heroics in the longer format. Also, Khaleel Ahmed has played a handful number of games for India in T20Is, and the way he has bowled is far from promising. He lacks the variations required, is inconsistent with yorkers and his obsession with short balls has made him a release-bowler for opponents.

Perhaps the only reason he has got so much game-time is that he is a left-arm bowler. While having a left-arm pacer adds to the variety in a team’s bowling attack, it can’t be a substitute for required skills. His exclusion for the last couple of games suggests that India might finally move away from Khaleel.

Error #4: Substandard Fielding

Despite routine drops in the slips, India is a pretty good fielding side in Tests and even better in ODIs. But, for some reason, India has often been an awful fielding side in T20Is. Fielders are often dropping regulation catches and there are a number of errors in ground fielding.

The worst bit? This has been going on for a while but seems like there has been no improvement at all. In this format, where every run is so important and counts for so much, so many errors so often can prove to be match-changing and fatal.

Things India Are Doing Right

Extremely Talented and Experienced Group Of Core Players

However, it is not all doom-and-gloom. The main thing India has got right in this format (which is a non-tactical one) is the talented bunch of players they have.

Much of India’s core team in T20Is similar to their ODI team. The really good and solid top order of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli and spinners, mainly Yuzvendra Chahal and quality pacer in Jasprit Bumrah; form a really good core. All of them are few of the best players in the world at their respective jobs and on their day, they have the capability to single-handedly change the course of the match.

Verdict

For a top-quality side, India has been making far too many blunders in the shortest format of the game. Even though it seems India are working to rectifying a few of them, there is a lot more work to be done. If India is quick enough in rectifying those errors, it might put them back among the top teams in this format and improve their chances in the WT20 next year.

Written by Saurabh Shinde. Follow Saurabh on Twitter today.

Thanks for reading!

Also read: Check out CricBlog’s IPL Auction articles, covering five players each team should buy.

5 Exciting Players to Watch Out For in BBL09

Robin Rounder

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December 7, 2019 at 9:40 pm

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5 Exciting Players to Watch Out For in BBL09

5 Players to Watch Out For in BBL09 | Best Young Players to Watch Out For in BBL09 | Big Bash League 2019/20

The Big Bash League is one of the best franchise T20 leagues in the world. This season, the addition of AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn, along with many big T20 names, such as, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell and Rashid Khan will take part, creating plenty of excitement.

But, here we look at five players that are not known to everyone, but have the potential to create a buzz in the world cricket community. From Sydney to Perth, here are five young players to watch out for in BBL09.

Tanveer Sangha (Sydney Thunder)

We originally had Oliver Davies as a player to watch. However, he is out for the first few weeks with an arm injury.

But, there is another player to watch from the Sydney Thunder. 18-year old leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha has been superb in Sydney Grade cricket in recent times, to go with his 11 wickets in five outings for Australia U19s earlier in 2019. With Fawad Ahmed having left the Thunder, Sangha is one to watch out for.

2. Jake Fraser-Mcgurk (Melbourne Renegades)

What were you doing when you were 17?

Jake Fraser-McGurk made his First-Class and List A debut for Victoria on 12th and 17th November 2019 respectively. He scored 54 and 41* in his two List A games, with the latter innings sealing an incredible tie for Victoria against South Australia. This proves he has what it takes to bat in crunch situations for his team.

Being selected for the BBL just under a month since his debut shows the talent and quality he possesses. He has been picked by Melbourne Renegades for this year’s BBL and is indeed a player to watch out for.

5 Players to Watch Out For in BBL09 | Best Young Players to Watch Out For in BBL09 | Big Bash League 2019/20 — Jake Fraser-McGurk is a great prospect.

Cameron Green (Perth Scorchers)

Ricky Ponting said that Cameron Green has the potential to be a great all-rounder for Australia. So, that alone tells you he has something.

He is scoring runs for fun in First Class Cricket. His last few scores are 126, 86, 87* and 121 and he has picked 28 wickets in 11 matches. This shows that he is a consistent performer and can help Scorchers lift another BBL trophy.

Unfortunately, though, he will be unable to bowl for sometime due to a stress fracture in his back. However, with his batting form so strong, the Scorchers will be wise to utilise his talents.

Zak Evans (Melbourne Renegades)

19-year-old fast bowler Zak Evans, from Victoria, is another star in the making. He is known to generate some extra pace and is performing very well in U19 and U23 matches. He has picked up 26 wickets in the last seven matches across U19 and U23, with 6/44 his best figures.

Playing for Renegades in this BBL he can make everyone talk about him. He, with the likes of Shinwari, can make a very good pace bowling attack for last year’s champions.

Matt Kelly (Perth Scorchers)

Matt Kelly is a very exciting bowler to watch out for. He possesses good pace, and his yorkers can make any cricket fan jump from their seat. He took 11 wickets from seven matches in the last BBL season, with an average of 19 and strike rate of 14.70. His economy of 7.74 is very good in the shortest format of the game, particularly considering he bowls at the death.

Part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad in IPL 2019, Kelly could become a very important part of the famous Scorchers fast bowling attack and can go through any batting line-up on his day.

So these were our picks to watch out for in this year’s BBL. Do you have any to add?

Thanks for reading!

Written by Robin Rounder. Follow Robin on Twitter today

IND vs WI 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey

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December 5, 2019 at 7:03 pm

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IND vs WI 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs WI 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | India vs West Indies 1st T20I Preview Dream11 Prediction

Context is often a term thrown around in T20Is. At first glance, a series like this doesn’t look to have too much context. However, when you delve a little deeper, one can see the need for both teams to nail their World T20 plans.

Conditions will be different in Australia than India. However, India is a team that requires a bit of a shift in focus, after less-than-convincing displays against South Africa and Bangladesh recently. Sure, players were rested, but those knocking on the door need to knock harder.

West Indies are coming off a series defeat to Afghanistan. The positive for them is that they have been in the country for weeks now, but with the likes of Andre Russell missing, it is important those looking for regular opportunities make a mark less than a year out from the World T20.