India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I Preview: Rohit Sharma eyes third consecutive series whitewash
India Today
India captain Rohit Sharma will look to complete a third consecutive series sweep when his team takes on the West Indies in the third and final T20I of the three-match series at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday.
Rohit Sharma-led India will look to complete another series whitewash when they take on the West Indies in the third and final T20I at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday. With the series already sealed, the Indian team will have the chance to test their bench strength in the final game of the series.
The likes of Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad may finally get a game as the BCCI has given former captain Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant a 10-day break. Earlier, Rohit guided India to 3-0 series wins over New Zealand in T20Is and West Indies in ODIs to begin his full-time captaincy career for India.
In the absence of KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan has failed to impress at the top of the order and his place could be given to the talented Gaikwad, who has been warming the bench until now. With the Sri Lanka T20I series up next, it may not be a bad idea to give Ishan a longer run. In the middle-order, Shreyas will replace Kohli, who has been given a much-needed break ahead of his landmark 100th Test.
Hooda, Avesh, Siraj are waiting in the pipeline
Deepak Hooda impressed after making his debut in the preceding ODI series and it remains to be seen if the big-hitting all-rounder is tried out in the T20Is. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, India have so far fielded the pace duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel.
Both Bhuvneshwar and Patel have so far delivered the goods, especially in the second match when the former bowled a game-changing penultimate over before the rookie seamer defended 25 runs in the final over to secure a series-clinching win. It remains to be seen whether Rohit would look to alter his bowling combination by bringing in Mohammed Siraj.
Brilliant 19th over Tricky final over Cooling down with an ice bath Bowling Coach Paras Mhambrey chats up with @BhuviOfficial & @HarshalPatel23 after #TeamIndia's win in the 2nd @Paytm #INDvWI T20I. - by @MoulinparikhFull interview https://t.co/KGrOYXzsMg pic.twitter.com/nIMtI4pBQo