All eyes will be on the Bengaluru skies when India take on West Indies in the series-decider at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. It’s been a bat vs bat contest so far with India winning the first and third games. West Indies made a comeback twice in the series with victories in the second and fourth games in Ranchi and Hyderabad respectively.
With the West Indies proving to be unexpectedly feisty so far, India would need to iron out some of their hidden batting flaws to counter the visitors in what is expected to be a high-scoring and evenly-contested encounter.
The preceding four run feasts have done India a massive disservice by masking the multiple failings in their batting unit. For the hosts, problems start with the top two. and have had moments of individual brilliance, striking three fifties between them. But their contributions as an opening pair read 29, 42, 7 and 60.
Focus will be on Indian middle order too, comprising of Ishan Kishan, skipper and Naman Dhir, who are yet to fire in unison. Iyer scored 102 in the first T20I at Lucknow, but his next three outings have yielded 40, 1 and 16. A defeat here will certainly dent Iyer’s image.
After away losses to Ireland and England, he regained some lost ground with wins over Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. On the other hand, Shai Hope has led West Indies from the front, with two match-turning hundreds already in the series.
Generally, the M Stadium is a nightmare for bowlers, with its flat pitch and short boundaries. India might consider including Kuldeep Yadav and late addition Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the eleven on Saturday.
was added to the Indian squad for this match after fellow pacer Arshdeep Singh sustained a blow to his bowling shoulder during the Hyderabad T20I. For now, he is in as a cover and the final call on whether he plays, will be taken closer to the match depending on Arshdeep’s condition.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep, on the other hand, would add a touch of experience to a unit that so far has relied on Arshdeep and Axar Patel so far. Kuldeep was benched for the third and fourth matches of the series.
The trend at the Chinnaswamy Stadium is heavier on the teams batting second as chasing sides have won seven out of last 10 Indian Premier League games. With rains predicted, the teams winning the toss would certainly want to bat second. Unlike the other grounds in the series so far, bowlers will find assistance at this venue in the first innings.
The short-of-a-good-length deliveries early on have been effective, while the conditions eased up for batting as the game progressed. The last time Chinnaswamy hosted T20Is was in 2023, with India winning both against Australia and Afghanistan (via two Super Overs).
Not to forget, rain prevented both India and West Indies from training on the eve of the game.
In the 34 T20I matches played between the two sides, India lead the head-to-head record against West Indies by a 22-12 margin. One game ended in no result. West Indies haven’t won a bilateral T20I series on Indian soil so far and will be eager to record a historic victory. The last time West Indies won a T20I over India was in 2023 in the Caribbean and the United States.
Star Sports Network is the official broadcaster of the India vs West Indies T20I series in India. The India vs West Indies 5th T20I will be televised live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi TV channels in India and DD Sports. Live streaming of India vs west Indies 5th T20I will be available on JioHotstar app and website.
India: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav/Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav
West Indies: Shai Hope (C), Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul, Shamar Springer, Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph/Matthew Forde
