PREVIEW: India favourites but will be wary of the Windies threat

WHEN INDIA AND WEST INDIES lock horns against each other in India, there is a special element of excitement and expectation around the fans. And, tomorrow when these two proud teams take to the field at the Wankhede stadium in the second semi-final, one can expect an electrifying atmosphere at the ground in Mumbai. 

As you can see above, fans can come to the stadium with their friends and experience a larger than life OPPO selfie moment and upload their selfie with #WT20SelfieExpert and get the chance to win, OPPO F1 WT20 Edition, Toss OFan and Final Match VIP Tickets.

While the men in blue will enter the contest as the overwhelming favourites, the threat from the Windies cannot be overlooked. The Indians have not played their best cricket in the tournament thus far, but have somehow managed to make the cut in the last four.

On the other hand, West Indies won 3 out of their 4 games and topped their group. However, the only blemish came against the Afghanistan team a few days back in Nagpur and that defeat has certainly put an end to their winning momentum. 

The West Indies will once again pin their hopes strongly on their iconic batsman Chris Gayle. The Big Jamaican has already notched up the only hundred of this tournament and could spoil India’s party. However, the southpaw hasn’t really enjoyed batting against the Indian spinners, especially Ravi Ashwin. Furthermore, Gayle is also coming off a back injury and it will be interesting to see how he goes about his business tomorrow. 

The contest between Ashwin and Gayle has generated quite a lot of interest in the IPL matches over the years and tomorrow could be no different and could also be a defining moment in the game. Remember to capture those electrifying moments with the OPPO F1 WT20 Edition with Premium Metal Body that has a good 8MP Front and 13MP Rear camera which beautify your images. 

The 2012 Champions have a wobbly middle-order and they are likely to depend on their hard-hitting all-rounders Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo. On the bowling front too, they are likely to suffer as there aren’t too many strike bowlers either. That said, the West Indies have always tasted success playing as a cohesive unit and would be keen on making their second T20 final. 

On the other hand, the Indian team has played some shoddy cricket early in the tournament, but their win against the Aussies a few days back would have certainly boosted their confidence. Moreover, Dhoni’s men haven’t peaked early and tomorrow will be a perfect opportunity to gather some momentum all the way into the finals. 

For the hosts, Yuvraj Singh who picked up an ankle injury in Mohali will be replaced by Manish Pandey and the Karnataka batsman is likely to bat in the middle order. Besides the above change, Dhoni is unlikely to make any further changes. The West Indies too, have drafted in attacking batsman Lendl Simmons in place of Andre Fletcher into their scheme of things and the opener is all set to play tomorrow. 

As far as the conditions are concerned, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if another batting beauty is on offer. And, there is also no threat of rain in the city. Regardless of the conditions, we might see another high scoring game. 

Given the nature of the wicket, teams chasing down totals have done well and it will be interesting to see what the captains decide at the toss. Given the frenetic pace of the format and a finals spot at stake, expect some riveting action from both teams. Fans around the have grabbed all the tickets and it’s going to be a real buzzing night in Mumbai. As you have seen in the previous games Olli has been a centre of attraction amongst the fans and tomorrow it will be your chance to spot him and be the OPPO F1 selfie expert.

All said, the inaugural champions look better balanced and more experienced and if the Indian team can stick to their basics, that should take care of the challenge of the mighty Windies. 

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