India’s marauding batters would be eyeing another run feast against a West Indian attack that would have to do more than just be defensive when the two sides clash in the potentially series-deciding fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The battle on ground is once again expected to be decided predominantly by the power-hitters in both sides. India need a win to seal the five-match rubber by going 3-1 up, while the West Indies would be desperate to draw level at 2-2 to keep the series alive.
If it was skipper Shreyas Iyer, who took the lung-opener from them with his maiden T20I hundred, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan proved to be difficult to handle in the second game that the visitors eventually won.
The likes of Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir would have to be up for the challenge in case the top three have an off day, especially in a scenario where the team is chasing a big target. Abhishek dominated the proceedings in the third game and all-rounder Shamar Springer had no hesitation in acknowledging that his team had no option but to adopt a defensive approach against the on-song opener. The only concern for the home team would be a relative lack of game time for the middle order due to the top three’s brilliant run.
Skipper Shai Hope too has led by example and amassed 159 runs at a strike of 182 to make sure that the team’s reputation of being a T20 batting powerhouse remains intact. The team demonstrated its abilities quite well in the second T20 in Ranchi, where it chased down India’s 249 in 18.3 overs thanks to Hope’s 45-ball 102.
“…I guess our plan B is to just be as defensive as possible and try to make him get singles and twos,” Springer had said, admitting how hard it is to stop Abhishek once he gets going.
