India vs West Indies match prediction
India and West Indies will square off at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in the deciding T20I game on Wednesday.
India will take on current T20 World Champions in the third and final game of the series and there’s no place for complacency for both sides. India chased down a mammoth total in the first game of the series, courtesy an incredibly viscous knock from Virat Kohli. However, in the second game, West Indies pulled some strings back and handed India an eight-wicket drubbing.
Both India and West Indies will look to clinch the T20I series, but it is going to be a tough challenge. Indian fielding has not been up to the mark and therefore it cost them the second match. On the other hand, West Indies need to step up on the bowling front to curb the dangers of Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. Apart from Sheldon Cottrell, none of the Windies bowlers have been consistent and it remains to be seen who will come out on top when two heavyweight T20 sides collide at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Let’s take a look at the top three bets.
West Indies to hit the sixes
West Indies to hit most match sixes @ 1.80
Needless to say, the kind of power-hitting ability that this West Indies team possesses. In the first two matches, West Indies have hit 27 sixes out of which 15 came in the first match, which is also the third highest against India. India hit 17 sixes in the first two matches of this series. In the last five matches against India, the Windies have hit 47 sixes compared to India’s 32.
The only T20 match India and West Indies have played at the Wankhede Stadium was back in 2016 in the semi-final of the ICC World T20. India does not have sweet memories of the game as they failed to qualify for the final. West Indies hit 11 sixes during their run chase which broke the hearts of a lot of Indian cricket fans. Wankhede is a small ground with short square boundaries. That makes things easier for the West Indies batsmen who already possess a lot of power and experience as well. Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmeyer have hit 7 sixes each in the first two games. Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, and Nicolas Pooran also can hurt the Indian bowlers and we have witnessed that in the first two games. With Bet365 offering odds of 1.80 for West Indies, punters can make easy money on this.
West Indies’ powerplay record
West Indies to score more runs in the powerplay @ 2.37
West Indies batsmen are having a decent series so far against India. Their average powerplay score in these two games – 53.5, shows how well they have spotted the ball right from the start of the games. India averages 46 in the powerplay and they would need to do better in order to leave West Indies behind in this scenario.
However, India are ahead when it comes head to head numbers – 52.8. But numbers of the past are not going to help Kohli’s cause. Rohit Sharma has failed to fire in the powerplay for India and is why India have not been able to get off to rapid starts. Evin Lewis’ strike rates in the first two games were 235.9 and 114.29 respectively, compared to Rohit Sharma’s 80.0 and 83.33. When it comes to playing against India, Lewis has a strike rate of 186.76 and that is nothing less than excellent in this format of the game. Bet 365 is offering the odds of 2.37 for West Indies and punters might as well go for it.
Simmons and Lewis look strong for opening
Highest opening partnership for West Indies @ 2.20
Lewis and Lendl Simmons have batted beautifully in the last game. However, they will blow a kiss to luck for giving them opportunities to do so. In the last game, West Indies lost their first wicket after 73 runs on the board. Whereas India lost Rohit Sharma, when they were on 30. Head to head in the last five games the opening partnership for the two sides are as follows:
India: 4, 67, 10, 24, 30
West Indies: 4, 2, 0, 13, 73
The Simmons and Lewis partnership has looked good for the visitors and they would look to emulate the same when they will take the field on Wednesday.
India’s frontline seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar have failed to make any sort of impact in both the games. With Bhuvaneshwar and Chahar giving away 72 runs and 91 runs respectively, it shows how poorly they have fared in the first two matches. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah has added salt to the wounds of Kohli’s worries. With Bet 365 offering 2.20 for West Indies, punters have a real good chance of doubling their investment.
