India will look to extend their dominance in the five-match T20I series when they take on West Indies in the second T20I at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday. The hosts lead 1-0 after a clinical eight-wicket win in Lucknow, where captain Shreyas Iyer produced a stunning unbeaten 102 off just 43 balls to power India past the target of 172 with 32 balls to spare.
The bowlers had set up that win, restricting West Indies to 171 with debutant Naman Dhir starring with three wickets, while Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with two each. The spotlight now falls on India’s opening combination, with Sanju Samson under pressure after a lean run that has produced scores of 9, 7, 2 and 11 in his last four innings. Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who impressed during India’s Asian Games campaign, is waiting in the wings and could slot in at the top alongside Abhishek Sharma.
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West Indies, meanwhile, will need a far more collective effort after only Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford made meaningful contributions in Lucknow. The visitors will also be wary of the Ranchi surface, which tends to favour spinners as the game progresses.
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Naman Dhir had barely bowled in IPL. Then came his 3/31 on India debut
Naman Dhir bowls during the 1st T20I against West Indies in Lucknow. (CREIMAS for BCCI)
For a player who had bowled just 8.4 overs without a wicket in his IPL career, Naman Dhir could hardly have made a stronger case for his bowling. The Impact Player rule may have reduced his opportunities at Mumbai Indians, but the 26-year-old insisted he was ready.
“I’ve been bowling for a long time. It’s not like I’ve just started. In IPL, yes, there’s an impact player rule, so you see me bowling less. But it’s not like I haven’t bowled, I’ve bowled a lot and I’ve had a great experience here too. I’ve got wickets, I hope I’ll keep doing well in the future,” he said after taking 3/31 on his T20I debut against West Indies in Lucknow. (READ MORE)
