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India vs West Indies 3rd T20I: Predicted Fantasy XIs and Budget Picks

The spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Yuzvendra Chahal are expected to retain their places, while Sanju Samson would like to bat among the top five

By Omar | Aug 8, 2023 | 3 Min Read

West Indies will lock horns with India in the 3rd T20I of the 5 match series, West Indies have surprised everyone by winning the opening two games and have a great chance now to seal a rare series win against India. It’s a do-or-die game for India, so expect another intense contest with lot at stake for both the teams. West Indies have played like a unit in this T20I series, something that has been missing from their game for quite a long time now. Nicholas Pooran has been the standout batter while Rovman Powell has also batted well. Windies bat deep and have plenty of match-winners like Kyle Mayers, Hetmyer in their arsenal which makes them a dangerous unit. On the bowling front too, there are plenty of bowling options and all of them have been pretty disciplined in this series so far. However, they almost made a mess of an easy chase in the second T20I with some careless cricket at the backend, and that is something they need to be vary of. Expect West Indies to come out all guns blazing again.

India, on the other hand, need their batters to step up. They struggled big time on a slow wicket and apart from Tilak Varma, other batters could not show any application. Ishan Kishan played a decent knock in the second T20I but the top order as a whole has not fired and that is a worry for India. We might also see a Yashasvi Jaiswal debut in place of Gill, who has played non-stop cricket recently and has struggled in this T20I series. Also, it is high time a player of the calibre of Sanju Samson joins the party which could go a long way in India putting up a big total on the board. On the bowling front, Yuzvendra Chahal has been fantastic to say the least but there is a possibility of Umran Malik of Avesh Khan coming in for Mukesh Kumar.

The spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Yuzvendra Chahal are expected to retain their places, while Sanju Samson would like to bat among the top five to do more damage to the opposition. It will be interesting to see Hardik Pandya’s strategies in this match. The 29-year-old all-rounder received harsh criticism for some of his decisions in the series opener, including promoting himself over Samson and denying Chahal the opportunity to bowl his full four-over quota. It is a must-win game for this young Indian side and it is a test of character for Hardik Pandya and the Indian team.

Pitch

The pitch is known to aid the batters in the recent past, the straight and square boundaries are very big at this venue which will get the bowlers into action as well. The weather is expected to be slightly humid. The captain who wins the toss will look to chase the total down as there is a bit of dew expected in the latter half of the second innings.