India got off to a shaky start against West Indies while chasing 196 target. The Men in Blue scored ____ in 10 overs as Abhishek Sharma & Ishan Kishan weren’t able to trouble the scorers in a steep target. West Indies bowlers have hunted in a pack and made sure that Indian batters don’t smash a furry of boundaries back to back consistently.
West Indies draw first blood in powerplay overs
Abhishek Sharma was seen struggling against Akeal Hossein in first over as the around the wicket angle didn’t give him ample room. Sanju Samson though in 3rd over smashed 16 runs against Akeal in 3rd over but Abhishek Sharma went for glory and lost his wicket. Abhishek Sharma scored 10 runs in 11 balls and hit 2 fours. There wasn’t massive dew which was quite astonishing at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
There were high hopes from Ishan Kishan who was slotted at No.3 position. Jason Holder was introduced in 5th over and he immediately got rid of Ishan Kishan as his pull shot wasn’t effective. India was in a spot of bother at 41-2 in 4.3 overs after Ishan’s dismissal. Suryakumar Yadav was quite watchful in his approach. India scored 53 runs in 6 overs for the loss of 2 wickets.
India put run chase back on target
The onus was on Sanju Samson and he was smashing odd boundaries. Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson made sure that they don’t play a string of dot balls. Gudakesh Motie wasn’t allowed to settle as Samson used his feet. Shai Hope was looking a bit clueless as Samson smashed his half century and was looking invincible.
At the half way mark, India’s score was 98-2 and they need another 98 runs to win & 8 wickets in hand. It’s quite astonishing that Roston Chase hasn’t given the ball yet despite the surface assisting the spinners on the surface. Sanju Samson & Suryakumar Yadav would be keen to continue the partnership. Suryakumar Yadav was dropped on 14 by Gudakesh Motie.
Who’s winning India or West Indies?
India has a long deep batting line up like West Indies. Sanju Samson has a golden chance to be the match winner in crisis time. It’s quite evident that wickets in hand will give India more edge. The next couple of overs would be crucial. West Indies need wickets and to be brutally honest analytically, they need to bundle out India to win the match. West Indies are facing the heat but they can pull a rabbit out of hat and shock the billion people like 2016 T20 WC Semi Final as one wicket can change complexion of match.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: All-Round Batting Display Led By Roston Chase Powers West Indies To 195/4.