cricket

Updated: Aug 04, 2019 18:50 IST

After a below-par performance in the first T20I in Florida, West Indies need to sort out their issues when they will take on Virat Kohli and company on the second match of the series at the same venue. The batting order was blown away by the Indian quicks and this was the reason why they conceded the match. The Indian batsmen did not enjoy a field day either and struggled against West Indies pacers, especially Sheldon Cottrell. India lost six wickets while chasing a modest total of 96.

Here are the five key player battles that could define the 2nd T20I:

Rohit Sharma vs Oshane Thomas

Opener Rohit Sharma remains one of the most destructive batsmen in the shortest format and he will look to bring over his World Cup form into this series. He is likely to face the pace of Oshane Thomas early on in the innings. Off 18 deliveries from Thomas in T20Is, Rohit has scored 20 runs and he has been dismissed once by the fast-bowler.

India vs West Indies 1st T20I: Follow live score and updates

Shikhar Dhawan vs Sheldon Cottrell

Opener Shikhar Dhawan returns into international cricket after missing the latter part of India’s World Cup campaign due to a thumb injury. He will be raring to get back on the field after regaining full fitness. He will be tested early on by the furious pace of Sheldon Cottrell. The two have never faced each other in limited-over formats but expect sparks to fly when they do come face-to-face in Florida.

Virat Kohli vs Sunil Narine

Old foes will reignite rivalry when India skipper Virat Kohli and Windies spinner Sunil Narine lock horns against each other. The two have faced each other quite a few times in IPL and they will now take their battle on to the international stage. Off 94 Narine deliveries in IPL, Kohli has scored 99 runs but he has been dismissed by the wily tweaker twice.

Also read: India Predicted XI for 2nd T20I - One change likely in batting department

Evin Lewis vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The last time opener Evin Lewis played against India in Florida, he struck a majestic ton to power Windies to a one-run win. To stop that from happening again, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be tasked to dismiss the hard-hitting opener early. Off 23 Bhuvneshwar deliveries in T20Is, Lewis has scored just 29 runs but to his credit, he hasn’t been dismissed by the Indian premier pacer yet in the shortest format.

Kieron Pollard vs Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini was the star of India’s bowling attack in the 1st T20I. Kieron Pollard was the only West Indies player who led the resistance. He missed out on his half century though as he was undone by a slow swinging delivery from Saini in the final over. The duo will once again duel on Sunday at Lauderhill.