IND v WI 2018: Eden Gardens to serve batting paradise in the T20I series opener

Report suggests that the centre strip has a bit of grass which should afford even bounce and the ball will come on to the bat nicely.

Rohit Sharma will lead Team India in the T20I series against West Indies | Getty

Batsmen have dominated the just-concluded ODI series between India and West Indies. Eight centuries were scored in five matches while five of the ten innings produced 300+ totals.

The trend is unlikely to change in the T20I series opener at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday (November 4).

As per a report in TOI, the centre strip has a bit of grass which should afford even bounce and the ball will come on to the bat nicely. The unseasonal rain a few days back is unlikely to slow down the pitch as the entire ground was kept under covers. With the sun shining brightly over the last couple of days, the pitch has dried up nicely.

Report also suggests that the Windies T20 specialists, who joined the team a day earlier, had a practice session on Friday while those from the ODI squad who reached the city from Thiruvananthapuram in the morning, did not turn up at the venue.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian team in the T20I series as the regular skipper Virat Kohli was given rest to rejuvenate for the all-important Australia tour, starting on November 21.  

India had defeated West Indies 2-0 in the Test series while the Men in Blue registered a comprehensive 3-1 victory in the five-match ODI series.

India T20I Squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, K Khaleel Ahmed, Umesh Yadav, Shahbaz Nadeem

West Indies T20I Squad: Carlos Brathwaite(c), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Oshane Thomas, Khary Pierre, Obed McCoy, Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran

(With TOI inputs)

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 03 Nov, 2018

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