West Indies vs India – 1st T20 International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is West Indies vs India taking place? Friday, July 29th, 2022 – 15:30 (UK)
Where is West Indies vs India taking place? Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba
What is the expected weather for West Indies vs India? 30-31c, dry and sunny with a gentle breeze
What channel is West Indies vs India on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport in the UK
Where can I stream West Indies vs India? BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match live via the BT Sport website and app
LAST MEETING
India beat West Indies by 17 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
WEST INDIES
- West Indies ran India close across the opening two ODI matches of the series, but were comprehensively beaten in the third and will be happy to challenge the tourists in this change of format.
- The hosts are boosted by the return of batter Shimron Hetmyer after passing a fitness test, however opener Evin Lewis is yet to pass the same test and will therefore be absent once again.
- Bowler Dominic Drakes could be in line to feature for the Windies after having played for Yorkshire in the T20 Blast earlier in the English summer, although that would likely mean either Odean Smith or Alzarri Joseph missing out.
INDIA
- After being rested for the ODI series, captain Rohit Sharma returns to lead India for the T20i games and he has a plethora of riches at his disposal with both bat and ball in terms of team selection.
- Opener KL Rahul is expected to remain absent for India with a positive Covid-19 diagnosis last week further hindering his recovery from injury and this may see wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant given another chance to open the batting with Rohit.
- Both fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and leg-spin bowler Yuzvendra Chahal have been made unavailable, potentially opening the door for players such as Ravi Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh to play.
THE PREDICTION
An exciting series is on the cards between these two nations full of star operators in the T20 format of cricket. West Indies boasts some serious firepower with the bat and the Indian bowlers without key players such as Bumrah and Chahal may prove vulnerable across this match. However, the strength-in-depth of India is unmatched and they will still field a fearsome bowling attack here. Whilst this opening T20i is likely to be a closely fought contest, India have proven their worth in terms of coming out on top in tight encounters, with their players clutching up when matches are in the balance. With that in mind, back India to record a narrow victory here.
