West Indies tour of India 2022 News

Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant have been rested by the Indian team management from the third and final T20I against the West Indies scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 20 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Men in Blue have already sealed the series, having taken a 2-0 lead with an eight-run win on Friday, February 18. India won the first game by six wickets at the same venue. Kohli and Pant are likely to miss the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. They will miss the game in Lucknow on February 24 followed by the ones on February 26 and 27 in Dharamsala. The duo has been given a break from the hassles of staying in bio-secure bubbles and will join the team for the Sri Lanka Tests, starting March 4 in Mohali. The squads for the Sri Lanka T20Is and Tests are yet to be announced. "BCCI has given break to Virat Kohli from the bio-bubble and the third T20, it's just a normal break for him because of a tiring schedule from a long time. Rishabh Pant has also been given a break by BCCI ahead of the third T20 and from the T20I series against Sri Lanka," the source told ANI. "Yes, managing workload has been a priority for us," a source privy to the development was quoted as saying. Kohli hasn't had the best of times of late. Last year, he relinquished T20I captaincy after India crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2021 in Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Later, the 33-year-old was removed as the ODI captain of the team. Last month, Kohli also stepped down as the Test skipper after India lost 1-2 in South Africa. India started with a win in the opening Test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. But seven-wicket defeats in Johannesburg and Cape Town led them to lose the series. Kohli also didn't have the best of times in the ODI series against the West Indies, but he scored a half-century in the second T20I on Friday. Pant, on the other hand, has been scoring runs across formats.

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has opined that it won’t be a great move to play Ruturaj Gaikwad in the dead rubber against West Indies on Sunday. He also claimed that it would be better if Ishan Kishan plays the third T20I also against West Indies and Gaikwad gets an opportunity during the entire T20I series against Sri Lanka. Gaikwad was part of the ODI squad in South Africa and was picked in both the limited-overs series for the ongoing home series against West Indies. The Chennai Super Kings star failed to find a place in the playing XI in the ongoing T20I series against West Indies as well. “We need to give Ishan Kishan another game and play him in the third T20I. Then we must think about giving Ruturaj (Gaikwad) a chance in the Sri Lanka series. He should be given a longer rope, maybe a series. No point giving Ruturaj one game. It makes sense to have continuity with players so they know that they are going to play the full series," Jaffer told Espncricinfo. When he was asked whether Kishan’s failure in the first two T20Is is a cause for concern, the veteran replied that he did not think so. “We need to be patient with Ishan Kishan. We all know that he is a quality player. He has got the fifties on T20I and ODI debuts and has such a fine IPL record for Mumbai Indians. But he has just been bought for ₹15 crores, which plays on players’ minds. And, it wasn’t easy straightaway. The ball was swinging a little. Even Rohit (Sharma) scored at almost a run-a-ball for his 19. We need to leave him alone. Once he gets going, he’ll be fine," opined the former Indian cricketer. That said, the youngster from Mumbai Indians was dismissed for 35 off 42 in the first T20I and disappointed in the second T20I as well. Following his early dismissal, Virat Kohli came in and played a stunning fifty. “Kohli looked in sublime form. The wicket was good to bat on and he came out like he was already set. Kieron Pollard played with his mind by having a short leg. I don’t know why, but Kohli responded really well. Even though he hasn’t got hundreds in 50-overs and Test cricket, he is in fine form in T20Is. If he keeps batting like this, I don’t think the magic three-figure mark is too far way," Jaffer concl

Team India’s swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has said that they have not set any template as to how they play the death overs with the bat. He once again said that Venkatesh Iyer has batted as per the demands of the situation on Friday. Pant (52* off 28) and Iyer (33 off 18) stitched 76 off only 35 balls for the fifth wicket at Kolkata. Thanks to them, Team India posted 186 for 5, batting first. At a virtual press conference after the match, Pant opened up on their attacking during the partnership. He said: “We have not set any template but we tried to capitalize on the middle overs. At the end of the day, you have to play the situation. When I was batting, I was thinking that I have to take the match slightly deeper. Generally, I would like to hit bowlers from the 14-15th over but I tried to take it deep. I knew after Iyer our bowlers were going to come. He (Iyer) came in and played really well, and we had a good partnership together.” While talking about Iyer’s innings, he said that the all-rounder has read the situation well and played accordingly as well. “When you come down the order, you know the situation. He is someone who reads the situation really well. We talked about keeping it simple and not trying too many things. The plan was to see the ball, hit the ball," the flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman stated. In the 2nd T20I, Pant smashed seven fours and a six during his innings, Iyer smacked four fours and one six as well. However, Iyer opened the innings for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during IPL 2021. However, for India, he has been batting in the middle order and doing well so far. While explaining the decision, Rishabh Pant stated that the Indian team is trying to fit players into specific roles as well. “He (Iyer) is a mature cricketer. He used to play down the order for MP. Yes, in the IPL he is opening, but we can’t be thinking too much about that. In the Indian team, we are just trying to find different positions for different," Pant concluded.

India were in a spot of bother when West Indies batter Rovman Powell smacked a couple of maximums on the third and the fourth delivery of the final over in the second T20I in Kolkata bringing down the equation to 11 off 2 with Harshal Patel having the ball in his hands. The right-arm bowler showed nerves of steel and only gave two more runs on the last two deliveries to hand the home side a win and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. West Indies were eventually restricted to 178/3 while chasing 187 in 20 overs to lose the match by 8 runs. The visitors had started the chase well but lost a couple of wickets for 59 runs in the ninth over when Nicholas Pooran and Powell joined hands to get the side back on track. The two batters took on the Indian bowling attack and hammered them all around the park to stitch a 100-run stand for the third wicket and also notched up individual fifties during the course. Pooran was eventually undone for 62 off 41 by Bhuvneshwar Kumar after Ravi Bishnoi held on to a brilliant catch on the on side in the penultimate over while Powell remained unbeaten at 68 off 36. Their efforts though went in vain as the side failed to go over the line. On a day, when most of the bowlers had found it difficult to keep the batters silent, Bhuvi, Chahal and Bishnoi unveiled some economical spells that helped India clinch a win. While Bhuvneshwar returned with figures of 1/29 in 4 overs, Chahal picked up one wicket for 31 runs in his four overs and Bishnoi scalped one for 30 in his 4. Bhuvneshwar delivers when it mattered West Indies needed 29 runs in two overs and the skipper handed the ball to experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was up against the well-settled duo of Powell and Pooran. But the right-hander didn't panic at all and rather prevented the two batters from scoring runs. Kumar deceived the batsmen with his pace, line, and length and only gave four runs during the course of the penultimate over of the innings and also returned with the priced wicket of Pooran. Virat Kohli shows form Virat Kohli had to walk put early to bat in the second T20I after Ishan Kishan was sent back in the hut for just 2 off 10 deliveries. Kohli along with Rohit steadied the ship as the two scored a partnership of 49 runs for the second wicket before the captain departed. But Kohli held the fort at the other end. The right-handed batter played a cautious knock but also went for his strokes whenever the ball was pitched in his radar. Kohli eventually scored 52 in 41 deliveries. Apart from him, Rishabh Pant and Venkatesh Iyer also made valuable contributions as the two left-handed batsmen stitched a stand of 76 runs for the fifth wicket. While Iyer scored 33 in 18 balls, Pant remained not out for 52 off 28. " I don't mind playing the situation and not only at the death. The more you practice, the better you get. The only thing we (during partnership with Venkatesh Iyer) were talking was we will play according to every ball. It is never easy to play every game but this is what I have always wanted to do. I always enjoy what I do," Pant said after the match.

India recovered in a brilliant manner during the second T20I against West Indies in Kolkata on Friday. After being put into bat, the home side lost Ishan Kishan pretty early and were 10/1 when former skipper Virat Kohli walked in. He along with Rohit Sharma steadied the ship for the team with a partnership of 49 runs before Sharma was caught by Brandon King off Rostin Chase. The spinner followed this with another wicket in quick succession after he dismissed Suryakumar Yadav caught and bowled for 8 off 6 leaving India in a spot of bother. But Kohli and wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant provide the resistance. Virat who notched up a fifty during the course began the innings in a cautious manner but also played his stroke as and when he could. The right-hander eventually scored 52 off 41 before he was cleaned up by peach of a delivery from Chase. Pant was then joined by Venkatesh Iyer and the two left-handed batters unleashed a batting masterclass to put up a stand of 76 runs for the fifth wicket. While Iyer chipped in with 18-ball 33, Pant remained unbeaten at 52 off 28. Roston Chase returned with figures of 3/25 in 4 overs.

After winning a convincing game in the first T20I fixture of the series, India will be looking to continue their run - albeit with the few forced changes in their line-up. The second T20I match, once again will be played in the Eden Gardens Kolkata under the floodlights and it is possible that they would not have the services of Deepak Chahar and Venkatesh Iyer who were hit in the last game. While Iyer returned to play a fantastic cameo during the chase, there has been no update regarding the conditions of Chahar. However, India will be confident with what they have in their reserves against a team that has not done the basics right throughout the tenure of the tour. Windies, playing in the subcontinent, half a year away from the next T20 World Cup, are struggling to manoeuvre spin. In the first game, they got stuck in the first 10 overs of the game and it took the brilliance of Nicholas Pooran to bail them out of the situation. Windies need to dig deep and figure out very quickly what their best combination is going into the T20 World Cup and who are their best assets that can shine against a team like India. Match Details India vs West Indies, 2nd T20I Date - 18 February, Friday Time - 7 PM IST Venue - Eden Gardens, Kolkata Broadcast - Star Sports Network Pitch & Weather Report When you are playing in Kolkata at this time of the year, the weather prevails over the pitch. Windies captain Kieron Pollard got into a scuffle with the umpire in the last game over the conditions of the ball in the second innings. The dew was so much on the night that Windies players found it quite difficult to bowl. If that is the case once again, Pollard will do well to win the toss and bowl first. On the last day, it did grip the slightest bit on the Eden pitch, but that type of assistance would be minimal for the bowler. The pitch is once again expected to be a slow turner that would favour the batsmen for the larger part of the second innings. Team News India Here is the interesting bit. India have players injured and India have trouble with form. Ishan Kishan probably played his worst knock in international colours the other night, but there is a lot of time before one can actually write him off. Virat Kohli looked fantastic for his brief innings of 17, but let’s call it what it was - brief. Sharma acknowledged the presence of Shreyas Iyer in the pre match press conference but stated that India need someone in the top 4 or 5 who can actually roll their arms over. If that is the case, India can call up Shardul Thakur for Venky while Deepak Chahar could make way for Avesh Khan - a bowler fans really want to see. Probable Playing XI Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer/Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Bhubaneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal West Indies Jason Holder will possibly be coming back into the game, which means puts West Indies in a very odd position in terms of balance. Their weakest T20 player Roston Chase performed the best among them last night and there is no way that you can leave out an asset just like that. Windies - if they choose to tweak their batting order a little bit, can send Fabian Allen up and drop Holder lower down the order -a place where he can be effective, but this will mean that one among Romario Shepherd, Odeon Smith or Sheldon Cottrell would have to walk out. Both Shepherd and Smith bring batting attributes with them and it is unlikely that the visitors will reduce their batting order after repeated failures. It will be interesting to see how they accommodate both Holder and Chase in the line-up and who they end up sacrificing on the day. Probable Playing XI Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Roston Chase, Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard (c), Fabian Allen, Jason Holder, Odeon Smith, Akeal Hosein, Sheldon Cottrell CE Fantasy XI Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Fabian Allen, Roston Chase, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Sheldon Cottrell