A green wicket awaits a red-hot India in the second Test match in Jamaica, but West Indies will have to play out of their skins, and then some, while hoping their opponents are off colour, if they are to take away the blues from their defeat in the first Test match.
India come into this second Test in utterly confident mood after an innings victory in the opening match emphasised the gap between the two teams in the longest format of the game.
Get the confirmed lineups of the two teams HERE
While the West Indies will try to bridge that gap by preparing a pitch with plenty of grass on it -- at least on the day before the start of the second Test match in Jamaica, there was quite a green tinge to it – India will know, if they play anything like they did in the opening game, a 2-0 lead in the four-match series will come knocking.
Complacency, though, is something that India need to be wary of, because, as West Indies showed in spurts in Antigua, they are not the kind of team to just give up. They have a strong lower order batting lineup, and if the top and middle order batsmen can string together a few partnerships, we might just have a Test match contest to savour.
While the West Indies are expected to load the pace department in anticipation of a bouncy track with plenty of grass on it, India will fancy their chances of making a mark as well, considering how well Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma bowled at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Kohli is also refusing to bow down to the temptation of playing an extra batsman, with the India Test skipper backing Amit Mishra and R Ashwin to come into play as the match wears on.
The opening day, on Saturday, will be crucial. India took control of the first Test match early on, with Kohli striking a beautiful century, and what the West Indies need to make sure, bat or bowl first, is that they do not hand India the momentum so early on. Kohli's men are such a confident unit at the moment that if you give them the early impetus, they will prove to be pretty hard to stop.
Looking at the nature of the wicket, both captains will probably want to bowl first after winning the toss, but Kohli will be tempted to bat again, considering how well it worked for them in the opening Test match, where they ended up putting a total of over 500 on the board, which meant they did not have to bat again.
Scoreboard pressure is a big thing in Test matches, particularly for a side with little experience like the West Indies. But then, unleashing the fast bowlers on day one morning will also be tempting, with the West Indies, probably, thinking along the same lines as well.
Where to Watch Live
India vs West Indies 2nd Test match is scheduled for an 8.30 p.m. IST (10 a.m. local time, 4 p.m BST) start. Live Streaming and TV information below.
India: TV: Ten 2, Ten 3 and Ten 1 HD. Live Streaming: Ten Sports Live.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 5. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports and Sky Go.
UAE: TV: Ten Cricket.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV online.
Australia: TV: Fox Sports 5. Live Streaming: Foxtel.
South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa: TV: SuperSport 2. Live Streaming: SuperSport.
