India vs West Indies, 2019: 3rd T20I – Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The third match of the three-match T20I series 2019 will be played between India and West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The match starts at 07:00 PM IST (01:30 PM GMT). This match will be broadcasted on Star Sports. Live Streaming will be available on Hotstar

Preview for Dream11 Fantasy

So, here we are then! After having suffered the ignominy of letting India pull-off their highest-ever run chase in T20I cricket, the Kieron Pollard-led unit pulled one back to break their seven-match losing streak against the Men in Blue in Thiruvananthapuram to ensure that the three-match series goes to the decider at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

India’s loss in the second T20I was a validation of what plagues them in the shortest format of the game. Once again it was proved that the Men in Blue struggle every time they asked to post a target and then defend it at the later stage. Three reasons- conservative approach coupled with inconsistent returns from the middle-order and the choice of their spin bowlers- opting for off-spin in place of a leg-spinning option in Kuldeep Yadav- and of-course the shoddy catching-have been at the heart of India’s issues, especially when they are batting first.

It cost them three years ago in that World T20 semifinal at the Wankhede and if they don’t address those issues quickly enough, it could cost them again in the series decider. As for the visitors, they’ll hope to continue with the good work they’d done thus far and pull-off a rare series win against the Men in Blue.

Weather Condition/Report:

With no chance of rain, we are in for a full-fledged T20 game on Wednesday at the Wankhede. According to AccuWeather, the temperatures are expected to range between 25-31 degrees Celsius while the humidity is expected to be around 57%.

Pitch Condition/Report:

With all the dew and pristine batting conditions, the Wankhede stadium has always been an extremely difficult ground to defend a total on. India found that out the hard way when West Indies romped past their total of 192 in the 2016 semi-finals. With dew expected to play a big role, both captains will be hoping to win and put the other side into bat.

Average first innings score:  187

Record of chasing teams: Won- 5, Lost- 1

Injury and Availability News:

(Will be shared if there’s any update)

Probable Playing XIs:

India

Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bench: Kuldeep Yadav/Washington Sundar, Mohammed Shami, Sanju Samson, Manish Pandey

West Indies:

Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicolas Pooran (WK), Kieron Pollard (C), Jason Holder, Khary Pierre, Kesrick Williams, Hayden Walsh, Sheldon Cottrell.

Bench: Keemo Paul, Denesh Ramdin, Sherfane Rutherford, Fabian Allen.

Top Picks:

India– India will hope that Rohit Sharma, who has been going through a lean patch in the shortest format of the game this year, gets back into the groove for the series decider. Apart from Sharma, the in-form KL Rahul, Virat Kohli will once again be the lynchpins, while the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant too will hope to contribute.

Shivam Dube scored his maiden half-century in the last game and it will be interesting to see how the all-rounder is utilized in Mumbai. With the ball, rarely anyone has had an impact. Yuzvendra Chahal, who had a rare off game in Thiruvananthapuram, will once again be crucial to India’s fortunes.

West Indies– West Indies batting unit- Lendl Simmons, Evon Lewis, Brandon King, Nicolas Pooran and Shimron Hetmayer, have all made significant impact in the past two games and will once again be the sides’ X-factor in Mumbai. As far as the bowling is concerned, Hayden Walsh and Sheldon Cottrell were brilliant in the last game.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain –  KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Lendl Simmons

Vice-Captain – Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Rohit Sharma

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper –  Nicolas Pooran (VC), Rishabh Pant

Batsmen –  KL Rahul, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Lendl Simmons, Virat Kohli (C)

All-Rounders – Kieron Pollard

Bowlers –  Yuzvendra Chahal, Sheldon Cottrell, Deepak Chahar 

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper –  Rishabh Pant

Batsmen –  Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis (VC), Lendl Simmons

All-Rounders – Shivam Dube

Bowlers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Khary Pierre

Expert Advice:

Rohit Sharma hasn’t had a great 2019 thus far when it comes to T20I cricket. But, considering his class and big-game temperament, we could be in for a Rohit special at the Wankhede. Hence opting for him as captain in your grand-league team could turn out to be a masterstroke.

Probable Winners:

It should be a close encounter, but with India having a great record in the third game of a series decider, they might just edge past the T20 champions.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.