India Should Won The Toss And Bat First So We Can See Big Target Here

Washington Sundar is out and Naman Dhir has replaced him in the squad. India have to settle Abhishek's opening partner and decide whether they want Prince as a third specialist seamer or Nitish for extra batting. With Holder rested, West Indies have a similar balance call. Chase, Hosein and Motie give them plenty of spin, but using all three could squeeze Forde's overs. The teams above are probable, not confirmed. India have the stronger spin attack and plenty of left-handed hitting. Arshdeep gives them a dependable option at either end of the innings, but the younger seamers can still be put under pressure. A couple of expensive support overs would bring West Indies straight back into the game. West Indies are well stocked with finishers; the concern is whether they get enough of a platform. Early wickets could leave those hitters trying to rebuild against Kuldeep. Hosein and Motie should enjoy any grip, although India's left-handers mean this is not an easy matchup just because both bowl left-arm spin.

India should win more often than not, but 1.25 is not a price I want to take before seeing this wicket. West Indies have enough batting power to make them uncomfortable, and Lucknow is not necessarily a ground where the stronger batting side can simply hit its way out of trouble. Starting view The most interesting part of this game is West Indies' middle order against India's bowling after the powerplay. Hetmyer, Rutherford and Powell can punish pace, but getting through Kuldeep and Axar without losing two or three wickets is a different task. I would rather be with West Indies chasing a manageable score than asking them to set one. That gives Hope a clearer job at the top and lets the hitters judge when to go. India still have the better balance; the gap can narrow if batting gets easier later