With the aim of sealing the three-match T20 series, the Rohit-led India are put to bat as West Indies' skipper Kieron Pollard won the toss and elected to bowl first in the second match which is being played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday (February 18).
Meanwhile, India's playing XI remains unchanged while the star all-rounder Jason Holder replaced Fabien Allen in the Caribbean side.
“We need to get back to our basics. It is a lightning outfield. Understand the game situation. Bat freely and see what we need to do after Powerplay. As a team, we want to improve in all departments. Whether we finish the game clinically or not, we need to improving. We have got the same team,” India's skipper Rohit said after the toss.
“Looks a good track. The last game dew was the factor. We will try to bowl first and limit them to a low total. Continue to execute our skills. We can't do much in a one day break. One change. Jason is fit. Fabian misses out,” Pollard said.
India are coming into this fixture after defeating West Indies in the first T20 game on Wednesday. The men in blue took up the one-nil lead after easily beating the West Indies by six wickets on Wednesday (February 16) where Ravi Bishnoi was rewarded as the player of the match for his exceptional bowling performances as he took two crucial wickets.
However, on the other end, there are still concerns over the form of former skipper Virat Kohli, but captain Rohit Sharma is backing him to do well in the coming matches.
Head to Head
West Indies and India thus far have faced each other in 17 T20 matches. While West Indies have won six times, India have won 11 times. While playing in India, the hosts have won 6 games while West Indies has won 2 out of 8.
Both the teams have played just 2 games in Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata and both of which have been won by India. In the last 5 matches, India has won 4 games while West Indies has won 1.
Pitch report
It’s one of the fastest wickets in the country where the pacers will get additional pace and bounce. The outfield is too quick and the ball travels quite fast into the fence. There is more help for the spinners as well which is interesting. It’s difficult to defend the scores here and hence bowling first is a good option.
India's playing XI: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal.
West Indies' playing XI: Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran (Wicketkeeper), Roston Chase, Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard (Captain), Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Sheldon Cottrell.
