IND vs WI, 5th T20I: India look to get their batting act together in decider
India looks to address batting inconsistencies in the final T20I against a competitive West Indies side.
Quick Look
- India and West Indies are tied 2-2 heading into the final T20I in Bengaluru.
- India aims to resolve top-order batting inconsistencies and middle-order failures to secure a series victory against a resilient West Indies team.
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Why It Matters
The T20I series between India and West Indies is currently tied at 2-2. The final match is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru.
India vs West Indies Live Score, 5th T20I: 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 series-deciding fifth T20I in Bengaluru on Saturday.
The preceding four run feasts have done India a massive disservice by masking the multiple failings in their batting unit. The two sides are currently locked 2-2 in the rubber.
For the hosts, problems start with the top two.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have had moments of individual brilliance, striking three fifties between them. But their contributions as an opening pair read 29, 42, 7 and 60.
The 60-run stand in Hyderabad was also slightly misleading, as Samson scored 56 of those runs while Abhishek added a mere two.
Once the stand was broken, the middle order could not step up this time.
Ishan Kishan, skipper Shreyas Iyer and Naman Dhir failed to capitalise on the start provided by Samson, highlighting the gradual decline of the hosts' core in this series.
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 as captain too.
Open Questions
- Will the Indian batting lineup adjust their strategy?
- Can Shreyas Iyer recover his form as captain?