ICC World T20 2016 : India vs West Indies semifinal

India vs West Indies: Prologue to semi-finals as India piggyback on Virat Kohli

 

Virat Kohli took India past Australia and into the semi-finals where they face West Indies. (Source: PTI)

As the euphoria subsides, maybe it’s time for a reality check for MS Dhoni’s Indian team. They rode on Virat Kohli’s almost supernatural innings to beat Australia in Mohali on Sunday night and reach the World T20 semi-finals but until now, it has been largely a one-man show as far as the batting is concerned. Rohit Sharma has scored 45 runs in four innings, Shikhar Dhawan has made 43, Suresh Raina 41 and Yuvraj Singh 51. Kohli’s genius – 184 runs at 92.00 – has masked the collective batting failure.

But how long will this continue? Kohli got out cheaply against New Zealand and the team folded for 79. He didn’t get going against Bangladesh and India hung on the precipice. Talks have gathered momentum about India running away with the cup after Sunday’s victory but it would be presumptuous to rule out other three semi-finalists – West Indies, New Zealand and England.

T20 is the most fickle format the game can offer; that India has piggybacked on Kohli so far is not an ideal scenario. Ajinkya Rahane’s omission from the playing XI remains questionable but Dhoni has a mind of his own and after a 13-2 win/loss record in India’s last 15 T20 internationals, you can hardly question his wisdom. Rahane might have an opportunity in the semi-final if Yuvraj fails to recover from a twisted ankle. He brings in class and a lot more energy in the field and running between the wickets.

Talking about Dhoni, his captaincy – especially his handling of the bowlers – has been inspirational. His presence, and of course Kohli’s, give India an edge, when they take on West Indies at Wankhede on Thursday.

The West Indies’ loss to Afghanistan was somewhat unexpected but by then they had already sealed their spot in the last four. It’s unlikely that the Caribbeans would carry the excess baggage of their Nagpur defeat to Mumbai.

They played as a team in their wins over England, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Leg-spinner Samuel Badree is in fine fettle with six wickets at 13.66. Left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn has maintained an outstanding economy rate of 4.93. Seamers Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo, too, have made important contributions with the ball, collecting 13 scalps between them. Andre Fletcher has shown composure with the bat. Having big-hitters down to No. 9 adds to West Indies’ positives and then there’s Chris Gayle, who will return in the semi-finals to provide the X-factor.

New Zealand have made a seamless transition from Brendon McCullum to Kane Williamson. They are the only team to win all their group league fixtures, thanks to arguably the most disciplined bowling unit in the tournament. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner has taken to Indian pitches like a duck to water. A tally of nine wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 5.73 attests his impact. His spin-bowling partner Ish Sodhi has risen to the challenge as well, accounting for eight scalps at an economy rate of 4.97. In Williamson and Martin Guptill, the team has had a settled opening combination followed by dashers like Colin Munro and Corey Anderson. And Williamson has led brilliantly. Leaving out Tim Southee and Trent Boult from XI in all group games and still maintaining top team spirit requires excellent man management skills. The new captain has impressed.

England have been playing fearless cricket under Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss. In Joe Root, they have a world-class batsman across formats. Ben Stokes is arguably the best allrounder in the world at the moment. But England’s success is down to a refreshing change in their attitude as the players now appear to have the licence to express themselves on the field. England fascinatingly ran down a victory target of 230 against South Africa. They showed resolve after being reduced to 85/7 against Afghanistan. They are the surprise package of the tournament – good enough to upset the Kiwi applecart.

India vs West Indies semifinal: Lendl Simmons may replace injured Andre Fletcher

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Opener Lendl Simmons' stint with Mumbai Indians could help West Indies in the semifinals against India. Reuters

West Indies suffered a huge setback when their batsman Andre Fletcher pulled his hamstring against Afghanistan at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. With the all-important semifinal clash against India coming up in Mumbai, Thursday, West Indies are lining up Lendl Simmons as his replacement.

A Cricbuzz report states that sources in the West Indies camp have confirmed that Simmons will be called in for Fletcher. However, it is uncertain if the player will come in as a replacement or cover for Fletcher.

Lendl Simmons is a good opener, and could straightaway walk into the opening slot alongside the dangerous Chris Gayle to form an incredible pair in the upcoming match. The left and right-hand combination could be a huge threat to India. 

Simmons must have been hugely disappointed after seeing his World T20 hopes disappear when he picked up a back injury. Evin Lewis, who was dismissed for a duck against Afghanistan, was named as his replacement. But Simmons could get a chance to represent West Indies and power his team to the final of the World T20, if the Fletcher situation is deemed to be serious.

West Indies could also have gone with Dwayne Smith, who was impressive in the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Super League. With Simmons having played a los of cricket at the Wankhede Stadium for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, he knows the conditions better.

ICC World Twenty20: Should 'off colour' Suresh Raina be replaced by Ajinkya Rahane in crucial tie against Australia?

One of the major concerns for Team India ahead of their crucial tie against Australia on Sunday is the below par form of middle-order batsman Suresh Raina.

The crucial cog in MS Dhoni's arsenal, Raina, has not inspired confidence with the willow for quite some time now, though he did score a cagey 30 against Bangladesh in a thriller.

Even in the recently concluded Asia Cup T20, which India won in Bangladesh, the southpaw didn't manage to do anything noteworthy with the willow.

In the first two matches of the ICC World Twenty20, Raina scored 0 and 1 against New Zealand and Pakistan, respectively.

Considering his form with the bat, Dhoni has an option to give a chance to Ajinkya Rahane who has proved time and again that it's difficult to ignore him for long time in any format of the game.
In a do-or-die clash against Australia at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra stadium, Rahane could be a safe bet for gambler Dhoni.

But one thing that could go against Rahane is that he doesn't bowl, something that Raina has done successfully in the last couple of months.   

Keywords : India vs West Indies, India Vs West Indies 2016