India's top-order under pressure in must-win game, spinners need to stop Pooran juggernaut
The Hindu
India need to bat fearlessly to avoid series defeat; top-order must take responsibility. West Indies in ideal position for 1st series win since 2016; Pooran, Hetmyer to take attack to spinners. India's spinners need to contain Pooran; Chahal, Bishnoi must rethink plans. West Indies bowlers have kept India in check; India may replace Mukesh Kumar.
India will need to bat with the fearlessness they often talk about as they look to avoid a series defeat in the third T20 International against the West Indies on August 9.
The slow pitches on offer have not been the best for batting but as skipper Hardik Pandya pointed out after the loss on August 7, India should have a found way to score additional 10-20 runs.
India, who last lost to the West Indies in a bilateral T20 series back in 2016, trail 0-2 in the five-match series.
The shortest format demands the batters to go hard from ball one and that is something India's top-order, comprising Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, have not been able to do.
The top-order's failure has put extra pressure on the likes of Sanju Samson and rookie Tilak Varma, who has taken to international cricket like fish to water.
With focus on ODIs in a World Cup year, Gill, Kishan and Suryakumar would want to be amongst runs ahead of the Asia Cup beginning August 31.
"Batters need to take more responsibility," Hardik's message was clear to the batters following the two-wicket loss here on August 7.
Asian Games champion Avinash Sable opened his season in the 3000m steeple chase with a silver in the Portland Track Festival, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Oregon on Saturday. He clocked 8:21.85s. Asian champion Parul Chaudhary took the bronze in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in a season-best 9:31.38s. Former Asian bronze medallist Sanjivani Jadhav struck gold in the women’s 10,000m in 32:22.77s, a time which was a second off her personal best, while Seema was sixth in 32:55.91s.