India, who faced two consecutive defeats after winning the Champions Trophy, will take on West Indies in the 4th match of the Celkon Mobile Cup Tri-series 2013. The match will be played at Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain on Friday.
Overview:
India come into the contest after losing two matches played in the Tri-series. They conceded defeats to West Indies by one wicket and Sri Lanka by 161 runs. Currently lying at the bottom of the table with no points, they need to win the next two matches to stay in the competition. It is to be seen if the Champions Trophy winners shrug off the defeats and perform in the remaining games or bow to pressure.
West Indies are placed on top of the table with nine points after beating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the opening game and India by one wicket. They have become the favourites to win the Tri-series after two convincing wins. Almost assured of a place in the final, they will be looking forward to win on Friday.
Previous Meetings:
West Indies have 58-47 win-loss record against India with one tie and two no-results out of 108 ODIs played between the countries till date. West Indies beat India by one wicket in their earlier encounter this Tri-series.
Team News:
India: Skipper MS Dhoni will miss the series after sustaining a hamstring injury. Opening pair Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, who ensured a good start for India in the Champions Trophy, have failed with their bats in the Tri-series. They will be expected to give a good start and craft a good platform for the middle order - Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik Murali Vijay and Ravindra Jadeja - to put up a good score on the board.
After a spirited performance in the first game of the series with Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin almost taking the team home, the bowling department failed terribly in the second match. They let Sri Lanka score at will. They need to put their acts together and take wickets on Friday.
West Indies: Chris Gayle scored a superb century in the opening game before Johnson Charles hit 97 and Dwayne Bravo 55 against India in the second game. They will be expected to hit a ton again on Friday and consolidate their place in the final. They also have Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard and Devon Smith in the batting line-up.
Sunil Narine took four wickets in the first Tri-series match, but it was Tino Best, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, who rattled India's strong batting line-up in the second game by taking two wickets apiece. They are looking dangerous at the moment and will be expected to carry on the form.
Prediction:
India may retaliate to stay in the competition but West Indies, who look composed and settled at home, will come into the contest as the favourites.
Squads:
India: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shami Ahmed, Ambati Rayudu, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, R Vinay Kumar.
West Indies: Dwayne Bravo (c), Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Devon Smith, Darren Sammy, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Sunil Narine, Tino Best, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach
Where to Watch Live:
The game will begin at 07:00 PM IST on Friday (5 July) and it will be broadcast live in India on Ten Sports, Ten Cricket and Ten HD.
