India vs Windies 2018, 2nd T20I: Dream11 Fantasy Tips

After winning a low-scoring game in Kolkata, India will look to seal the series against the Windies at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow which is going to make its debut. The first game witnessed as many as three debutants from both the sides came up with economical spells of bowling. Interestingly, both the teams have less to tinker regarding their playing XIs. India might bring back a fit Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the place of Umesh Yadav.

The International debut of the new stadium in Lucknow might turn out to be a low-scoring game. The venue thus far hosted five first-class matches all witnessing extreme conditions. The first game between Hyderabad and Andhra in 2016/17 was a pacers’ delight with neither teams going past 200. The four matches in 2017/18 season were played on dustbowls.

In the game between Uttar Pradesh and Railways, as many as 19 wickets fell via LBW; the second most in the history of first-class cricket. In the same game, the UP side collapsed to 72 chasing 94 which is the first instance of a team failing to chase a target less than 100 in nearly seven decades in Indian first-class cricket. This does suggest we’re in for yet another low-scoring affair.

Match Details:

The second T20I match between India and Windies will be hosted by the Ekana International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

The match starts at 7:00 PM local time (IST).

Last five T20I matches:

India: W, W, L, W, W.

Windies: L, L, L, W, W

Pitch Condition/Report:

The local curator has dropped a bombshell over the fans in Lucknow that even 130 will be tough for the chasing team. The pitch has a large amount of grass on other sides with opened up cracks in between. This gives a hint that the spinners will hold the key and the teams winning the toss might prefer to bat first only against the regular trend in the limited-overs.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant(w), Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, K Khaleel Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Shreyas Iyer, Umesh Yadav, Shahbaz Nadeem.

Windies: Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Denesh Ramdin (w), Sherfane Rutherford, Kieron Pollard, Carlos Brathwaite (C), Fabian Allen, Keemo Paul, Oshane Thomas, Khary Pierre, Obed McCoy, Shai Hope.

Probable XI:

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Krunal Pandya, Manish Pandey, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.

Windies: Rovman Powell, Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Denesh Ramdin/Sherfane Rutherford, Kieron Pollard, Carlos Brathwaite (C), Fabian Allen, Oshane Thomas, Khary Pierre, Obed McCoy.

Power Picks:

Khary Pierre impressed one and all with his bowling on his debut. He was effective in bowling economical spells in the CPL. He and Fabian Allen could hold the key for Windies in this format. Khaleel Ahmed’s effectiveness will be crucial in this game for India.

Best Playing XI:

Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Lokesh Rahul, Krunal Pandya, Carlos Brathwaite, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Oshane Thomas, Khary Pierre.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

If the track in Lucknow plays as expected, Krunal Pandya would bat a decent number of overs alongside bowling his regular quota of four overs. This makes him an ideal contender for captain role. Rohit Sharma usually performs with extra responsibility while leading India which makes him an option for one of the multiplier options. Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah’s wicket-taking abilities are good enough to consider as vice-captain.

Expert Advice:

It is tough to see Shikhar Dhawan score runs in the coming game. The opening batsman is low-on confidence and his troubles against Oshane Thomas doesn’t help it. Windies preferring Keemo Paul ahead of Obed McCoy has been one of the poorest decisions given McCoy done well in both the games he played before Paul replaced him in the XI.

Probable Winners:

India might once again gain an edge over the Windies due to their all-round line-up. The batting first side is likely to have more chances of winning this fixture.

*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.

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