They came into the World Twenty20 on the back of contrasting build-ups. While India was evolving as potential match-winner during a string of T20 Internationals ahead of the marquee event, its Caribbean counterpart was involved in a long-drawn payment dispute with its administrators. While the Indian team was trying out various combinations, the West Indies players were mulling pull-outs.
When it came to the big stage, however, the two teams’ journey to the semifinal has been paradoxical in another way. While India stuttered at the start, it was fortunate in the middle before relying on its key batsman for scraping into the semifinals. The Caribbeans, on the other hand, started off in a rampaging manner and stumbled only after sealing a last-four spot.
No wonder then that the semifinal face-off between both the teams will be billed as the battle between method and flair; panache and power.
If India has Virat Kohli’s flair, West Indies has been relying heavily on Chris Gayle’s robust hitting at the top of the order. If India has Ashish Nehra’s experience to bank on, the West Indies has relied on Andre Russell’s surprise elements. If India has Jasprit Bumrah’s yorkers at the death, the Caribbeans have banked on Dwayne Bravo’s variations.
As M.S. Dhoni and Darren Sammy will walk out for the toss at the Wankhede Stadium, hoping that it won’t be the last time for them in national colours, they will realise that besides the headaches that have cropped due to a major injury in each set-up, they will have to deal with a tricky Wankhede wicket.
In a tournament that has so far been dominated by low-scoring wickets where the ball has stopped and turned rather than coming on to the bat, the Wankhede track has been the biggest exception. All the three games the stadium staged in the league stage saw teams scoring at over eight runs an over. However, none of those three games, including the West Indies’ tournament opener against England which saw Gayle scoring a stunning hundred, was played on the centre wicket.
The centre strip, usually reserved for India games at Wankhede, will be used for the first time in this tournament. The fact that the curators preferred to expose it under the baking son all through Wednesday could result in it starting to break down as the double-header progresses on Thursday.
Common concern
That aside, both the teams will have a common concern to address. Its middle and lower middle order’s performance with the willow. While India’s batting unit has been heavily reliant on Kohli all through the league stage, there has hardly been anything to talk about the rest of the batting line-up, including openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma.
The West Indies, on the other hand, couldn’t bank on its prolonged battery of all-rounders as all of them faltered when put under pressure, especially against decent spin attack. As a result, both the bowling units will be hoping for early breakthroughs to keep the opponents under check.
If that doesn’t happen, while the packed Wankhede crowd will enjoy a run feast, it could put either team in serious trouble of keeping alive its chances of winning the trophy for the second time.
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