New Delhi, Aug 12: With the five-match T20I series between India and the West Indies tantalisingly poised at 2-1 in favor of the hosts, the bandwagon moves to the Broward County Stadium in Florida, USA, for the fourth game on Saturday evening.
India came back strongly in the third match after two narrow losses, and Hardik Pandya’s men would like to carry the momentum into this must-win game. While the young Tilak Varma has been impressive with the bat on his debut tour, opener Shubman Gill has not managed to hit the peaks he’s generally known to.
So, is his form a bit of a concern for Team India? JioCinema expert, RP Singh, said: “I think the Indian team might be concerned about Shubman Gill already because he hasn't managed to score big for quite a long time. He has not done well against the left-arm spinners on a few occasions, too. The pitches are a bit challenging, no doubt, but if you’re playing at the international level, you'll encounter different types of surfaces. It’s not like Indian pitches will always be the same, allowing you to play big shots through the line. But, I feel the Indian team has decided that Shubman (Gill) will be opening the innings with Rohit Sharma in future.”
Another expert Abhinav Mukund, observed: “India should be a bit concerned about Shubman Gill’s form in this series. But that being said, he is a quality player, and I am sure he will figure it out. I feel he is getting into too much of a shell and then playing an attacking shot and getting dismissed. Unfortunately for Shubman, he hasn’t got the big score but there is not too much worry about it as far as I am concerned, because we have seen in the IPL how he is able to progress and score big hundreds and be the anchor that India needs at the top of the order. That’s exactly what I would want from him. Take a bit more time, it’s fine and be the senior partner in that top order. I am sure Shubman will fire.”
With the series on the line, do India need to do anything differently from what they did in the previous match? Singh said: “The change should primarily be in the batting approach because batting is a crucial aspect for us. Along with that, seven batters are playing, and when the top four batsmen perform effectively, if one of them stays until the 18th-19th over, India will comfortably win the match. Moreover, the pitch at Florida is also favorable for batting.”
