The time for experimentation is over. India have to pick the combination they think is best suited to beat the WIndies in Chennai on sunday ufffd Suresh Raina and R Ashwin must play!
The time for experimentation is over. India have to pick the combination they think is best suited to beat the WIndies in Chennai on sunday ufffd Suresh Raina andu00a0Ru00a0Ashwin must play! The time for experimentation is over. India has to pick the combination they think is best suited to beat the West Indies in Chennai.
Whatever combination they decide on it has to include off-spinner R Ashwin. Not only is Ashwin a tidy and penetrative off-spinner, he also has the advantage of being able to bowl with the new ball and when Chris Gayle is in the opposition that's crucial.
South Africa rid themselves of the Gayle danger by utilising Johan Botha's off-spin with the new ball and India could follow suit with Ashwin in their ranks.
The other decision India has to make is the batting balance.
If Virat Kohli isn't going to bat at three then the side is better balanced with Suresh Raina in the middle-order.
His ability to score quickly without too much of a "sighter" is crucial following India's batting powerplay induced collapse against South Africa.
Score quickly Raina can score quickly in the late overs, either by piercing the field or clearing the boundary. He generally bats with a cool head and Mahendra Singh Dhoni will welcome that after the way his partners thoughtlessly left him high and dry in Nagpur.
The other decision concerns the balance of attack. Currently, India doesn't have three pacemen in form and Raina's inclusion would also add to the spin bowling depth. This means deciding between Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra, and the right-armer is currently the superior bowler. This leaves India dangerously short on pace bowling options but well-suited to beat the West Indies.
The West Indies rely heavily on Gayle and the explosive hitting of Kieron Pollard to post a really big score.
They have other good batsmen, including the Brian Lara look alike Darren Bravo, but dismiss the dangerous duo cheaply and you reduce the likelihood of a demanding chase.
The West Indies bowling is thin and so far has been carried by Kemar Roach and Sulieman Benn. The string of medium-pace trundlers that follow, headed by skipper Darren Sammy, could be cannon fodder for the power-hitting Indian middle-order.
When it comes to big games it's best to play to your strength.
India's strength is a powerful batting line-up and spin bowling. This should be sufficient to account for the West Indies and more importantly, it gives India their best chance of victory in the knockout stage of the tournament.
