India’s walk out of their dressing room feels pensive. There is a sense of urgency as they step onto the ground and settle into their rhythm at Eden Gardens, only 24 hours before their virtual knockout against West Indies. The team, spread across five nets in Kolkata, is focused on individual processes.
After their warm-ups, Axar Patel is hitting nonchalant shots off Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar. Ishan Kishan is settling into his stride against Mohammed Siraj, while Abhishek Sharma is having a go at the net bowlers. Two others – Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy – are stationed far away, training on their own, sharpening their skills in isolation.
The Indian team was jolted by a personal loss a day earlier, when Rinku Singh’s father passed away in Greater Noida after battling Stage IV liver cancer. Rinku, who often forms the heart of the team wherever he goes, has flown to Aligarh to perform the last rites of Khandchand Singh.
When a figure like that leaves the group, the air weighs heavy. Even the usually jovial Arshdeep Singh is training alone. He is stationed along the boundary line, taking catching practice from T Dilip, the fielding coach of the Indian team.
But there is perhaps no time to dwell on any of that. That is the nature of professional sport. It is merciless on the field and off it as well. So the Indian team looked switched on throughout their session, in sharp contrast to West Indies, who had trained at the venue earlier.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate addressed the press and provided a glimpse of India’s mindset.
“I think the important thing is to focus on ourselves, focus on what has got this group to this point, how well they’ve done. And now there’s only quality players left in the tournament,” he said at Saturday’s pre-match press conference.
(India will face West Indies in their T20 World Cup Super 8 fixture in Kolkata at 7 pm IST. The match will be broadcast on Star Sports and streamed live on JioHotstar.)
The former Kolkata Knight Riders player, who has spent ample time at this venue, gave West Indies full respect, fully aware of what they are capable of at this stage of the tournament.
Back in 2016, West Indies knocked hosts India out of the T20 World Cup in a semi-final encounter at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In a high-scoring match, Daren Sammy’s Windies chased down 193 with two balls to spare.
Only two members of that Indian side remain in this team – Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya – and ten Doeschate called upon them to deliver for India on Sunday.
“it’s about big players standing up, experienced players standing up, and just remaining calm and staying true to the way we’ve played leading up to this match,” ten Doeschate said.
India’s training session suggested that not much is going to change in the knockout clash. They are likely to go with the same line-up that thrashed Zimbabwe in the previous match. India’s batting finally clicked in the tournament, and the management is unlikely to tinker with that combination.
The match at Eden is expected to be a batting shootout between two attacking sides, with curator Sujan Mukherjee stating that it would be a batting-friendly pitch.
If that is the case, West Indies could be a dangerous outfit to handle, especially given that they have already played two matches at the venue and know the conditions better than the Indian team.
In that context, West Indies’ lighter practice session makes sense. Perhaps Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd needed just enough time to adjust to the pace of the ground – the rest might flow naturally on Sunday.
The Windies are expected to consider Roston Chase against India, given India’s obvious issues against finger spin.
Eden is a small ground where margins are slim, and familiarity could turn out to be a key weapon on Sunday. Whoever assesses the conditions better will have the stronger chance of dominating this virtual quarter-final.
KOLKATA: PITCH AND CONDITIONS
Kolkata has been baking under a harsh sun over the past few days. It is late spring in the city, which means dew is expected on Sunday evening.
The pitch looked slightly dry, with a little bit of grass on top. It appeared that a total in the region of 220 could be attainable in an evening game.
IND vs WI: TEAM NEWS
West Indies are expected to wrestle with their team combination. The main decision revolves around Roston Chase and Akeal Hosein. Chase presents the more favourable match-up, but Hosein is arguably the more consistent bowler of the two.
Also, Shamar Joseph has not yet found his rhythm in the T20I format, and playing a bowler still searching for control at Eden could be a risky proposition.
Shamar’s only Indian Premier League outing at Eden Gardens came in 2024, when he bowled a chaotic 10-ball opening over, struggling to control his seam and swing. He conceded 47 runs in his four overs that day.
For India, as discussed earlier, there is no indication that any changes are imminent.
IND vs WI: PREDICTED PLAYING XIs
India Probable XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
West Indies Probable XI: Brandon King, Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
