India Bowl First After Winning Toss Against West Indies in T20I Opener
India won the toss and chose to field in the opener of a five-match T20I series against West Indies in Lucknow. Shreyas Iyer captains India and Shai Hope leads West Indies, with India arriving after Asian Games gold in Japan.
In Lucknow, India began a new series after winning gold at the Asian Games in Japan. India won the toss and chose to field first against West Indies in the opening match of the five-match T20I series on Tuesday.
The decision puts West Indies in to bat first at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. India captain Shreyas Iyer and West Indies captain Shai Hope lead the two sides in the opener.
India want to carry the momentum of their Asian Games triumph into the T20I format. West Indies arrive on the back of a fightback in the preceding ODI series, which they took to the final match after trailing 2-0.
The toss result gives an early picture of the match: India will chase after West Indies finish their innings. No final result is available in the match information at hand.
India and West Indies line-ups
India field Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson as wicketkeeper, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer as captain, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav and Mayank Yadav.
West Indies play Shai Hope as captain and wicketkeeper, Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Matthews Forde, Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Springer and Shamar Joseph.
India’s line-up leans heavily on players fresh from the Asian Games. Twelve of the 14 members of India’s squad for that event are also in this T20I group. The selection gives India a chance to keep the combination that earlier beat Pakistan in the gold-medal match, although choices at the top of the batting order remain a consideration.
For India, the match is a test of whether their Asian Games success can continue against a different opponent in a different format. West Indies, meanwhile, can build pressure from the start with the bat, with Hope the man to watch after his consistent batting in the previous ODI series. The effect is immediate on both sides’ strategies: India must chase a target, while West Indies need to make the most of their first chance to score.
West Indies bring ODI confidence
West Indies trailed 2-0 in the ODI series before fighting back and forcing it to the final match. Hope’s batting was one of the common threads of that series, according to the match report on which this information is based.
India’s line-up also closely mirrors the Asian Games squad. Twelve players from the 14-man group are in the T20I squad. India previously beat Pakistan to win the gold medal, and now begin a run of five matches against West Indies.
The match is being played at Ekana, Lucknow. Nitin Menon and Virender Sharma are the on-field umpires, Rohan Pandit is the third umpire, Jayaraman Madanagopal is the fourth umpire, and Prakash Bhatt is the match referee.
In India, live coverage is available on Star Sports Network and JioHotstar. Viewers in the West Indies can follow the match on ESPN Caribbean and ESPN Caribbean’s digital platforms. The key fact from the start of the match is clear: India won the toss and chose to field.
