India will face West Indies in the 1st T20I match at the Rajiv Gandhi Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on December 6, 2019 (Friday). The Men in Blue defeated Bangladesh 2-1 in the last series played at home and will be looking to do the same against the Caribbean side. West Indies are the defending World T20 Champions but enter into this series ranked tenth in the ICC rankings. The visitors hit a new low as they were defeated by Afghanistan in their latest T20I series. In head-to-head records, the teams have met 14 times in T20 internationals and India have the upper hand with eight wins to West Indies’ five while one match ended in ‘No Result’. The Asian side have dominated the recent encounters winning all five of their recent encounters. India Vs West Indies, Cricket Score 1st T20I Match.
Virat Kohli has returned for this series after being rested against Bangladesh and will be eager to lead his side to another series win. He and Rohit Sharma will be the main threat to the Caribbean team. Meanwhile, West Indies are being led by powerhouse Kieron Pollard, his first series as captain of the West Indies T20 side didn’t go according to plan as they lost to Afghanistan but he will be looking forward to this series to prove his leadership skills. Ahead of the series, here are the result of the last five encounters between the sides. India vs West Indies, 1st T20I 2019, Key Players: Rohit Sharma, Jason Holder, Deepak Chahar and Other Cricketers to Watch Out for in Hyderabad.
West Indies vs India – August 2019 – India Won by 7 Wickets
After asking West Indies to bat first, India managed to restrict them to a sub-par total of 146 runs in 20 overs. Deepak Chahar was spectacular with the ball as the CSK pacer took three wickets for just four runs. India started poorly as Dhawan and KL Rahul were back in the pavilion early but a 100-run stand between Kohli and Pant took the game away from the Caribbean side.
West Indies vs India – August 2019 – India Won by 22 Runs (DLS Method)
After electing to bat first, Dhawan and Rohit Sharma put India in a fantastic position with a 50-run stand. After Dhawan’s dismissal, Rohit continued his fine innings and made 67 off 51 deliveries and helped India to reach 167 off their 20 overs. Rain after 15.3 overs during the West Indies innings caused the play to be abandoned, with the target being set at 121. The Caribbean side only managed 98 runs and as a result, lost the match.
West Indies vs India – August 2019 – India Won by 4 Wickets
First match of the series in West Indies was a low-scoring affair as the Caribbean side were bowled out for 95 runs after being asked to bat first. India made hard work of an easy task as they were three down for 32 runs. But Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey stabilized their innings before Washington Sundar and Jadeja saw India through and saved them from an embarrassment.
India vs West Indies – November 2018 – India Won by 6 Wickets
After electing to bat first, the visitors were given a steady start by opening-pair of Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmeyer as they stitched up a 50-run stand. After losing quick wickets Pooran’s half-century got them to a total of 181. Chasing this target, the Men in Blue lost Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul very cheaply but fantastic innings of 92 runs from Shikhar Dhawan and a half-century from Rishabh Pant took India over the line.
India vs West Indies – November 2018 – India Won by 71 Runs
West Indies' decision of bowling first after winning the toss backfired as India went on to score a massive total of 195 runs. Rohit Sharma led the charge on the Caribbean bowling attack as he completed yet another century. In reply to that the Caribbean side crumbled as none of the batsmen could reach the 30-run mark and only mustered 124 runs in their 20 overs.
Considering the recent results of the two sides, India will be overwhelming favourites to get a victory in this clash. But form means very little in this format as things can change very quickly. The Caribbean side have some very good young players on their team and will be looking to cause an upset.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 06, 2019 01:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).