India and West Indies meet in the fifth and final T20I at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, 17 October, with the series level at 2-2.
The match starts at 7:00 pm IST, with the toss scheduled for 6:30 pm.
The weather forecast is poor.
The
India vs West Indies 5th T20I
will settle a series in which both sides have posted huge totals. India have a bowling attack to patch, and West Indies have a chance to win a series on Indian soil.
How the series reached 2-2
The series has swung back and forth.
West Indies were bowled out for 171 in the opener, despite fifties from Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford, with Naman Dhir taking three wickets.
That put India in front.
Hope turned it around in the second match.
He hit an unbeaten 102 off 45 balls, with nine sixes and six boundaries, as West Indies made 252-4 in reply to India’s 249-5.
Al Jazeera described it as West Indies’ highest successful T20 run chase.
India restored their lead in the third match, but only by 14 runs.
Then came Hyderabad on Wednesday.
- Match 1: India won, after bowling West Indies out for 171.
- Match 2: West Indies won by chasing down 250, finishing on 252-4.
- Match 3: India won by 14 runs.
- Match 4 (Hyderabad): West Indies won by 24 runs, chasing 248.
What happened in Hyderabad
India chased 248 and fell short.
Sanju Samson hit a 23-ball 56 with four sixes and six fours, while Abhishek Sharma faced only three balls in the first three overs.
The early blitz did not last.
Keemo Paul took 5-41, and Gudakesh Motie removed Naman Dhir first ball and took another wicket in the same over.
That spell cost India the chase and levelled the series.
India also lost a bowler.
Arshdeep Singh was hit on the bowling arm by a Shamar Joseph bouncer while batting in the final over of the chase.
He faced the next delivery before retiring hurt.
India vs West Indies 5th T20I: team news and likely lineups
India’s biggest question is the final bowling slot.
The BCCI added Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the squad and said Arshdeep has not been ruled out, with his availability to be decided before the match.
Cricinfo lists
Arshdeep Singh or Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the 11th name in its probable XI.
The rest of the probable side, per Cricinfo, is
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav.
Final XIs are unconfirmed until the toss.
Bhuvneshwar knows the ground well.
He took 45 wickets across the last two IPL editions for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
One report says
it would mark his return to the India dressing room after nearly four years.
Kuldeep Yadav may miss out again. Yahoo Sports reports that
he is likely to be left out because of Bengaluru’s small boundaries.
West Indies are expected to stay largely as they were.
Romario Shepherd and Jewel Andrew came in for Kamil Pooran and Quentin Sampson in Hyderabad, and the side that levelled the series is likely to be retained.
Al Jazeera’s predicted XI is
Shai Hope (c, wk), Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Shamar Springer, Keemo Paul, Shamar Joseph and Gudakesh Motie.
Tactics and key matchups at Chinnaswamy
Bengaluru suits hitters. Cricinfo describes
small boundaries, good bounce and a high likelihood of dew, which had been absent in the last two matches.
Dew usually helps the side batting second, because a wet ball is harder to grip. That tends to push captains towards chasing.
India’s best-known mismatch is Roston Chase against their top order.
Chase has dismissed both Abhishek and Ishan Kishan twice, conceding under 1.5 runs a ball.
Samson has not been troubled by him, though. Cricinfo notes that in Hyderabad
he made a half-century inside the third over and dominated the one bowler who threatens to slow Abhishek down, Chase.
West Indies’ weak spot is the new ball and the death.
Shamar Joseph has been going at 14.17 an over,
according to Yahoo Sports. Hope remains the visitors’ central batter after his century in the second match, and India’s seamers will aim to remove him early.
The Statesman’s preview puts the contest in simple terms.
With both sides capable of huge totals, powerplay and death-over bowling could decide it.
India’s task, it says, is to find more control without losing their attacking approach.
Rain forecast for the decider
The weather may decide how much cricket is played.
The India Meteorological Department expects cloudy skies with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers, has issued a thunderstorm and lightning warning, and expects temperatures between 20 and 29 degrees Celsius.
AccuWeather gives Bengaluru a 90% chance of precipitation on Saturday.
Its hourly figures show
the chance of rain at 34% by 2 pm, rising to 68% at 4 pm and 71% at 5 pm.
The forecasts describe the build-up to the match, not the evening itself, and conditions can change quickly.
If rain interrupts play,
the match would be reduced in overs and decided under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
The stadium has an advanced drainage system that can speed up a restart.
A sustained downpour or lightning warning could still cause a long delay or an abandonment. The sources reviewed do not say what happens to the series trophy if the match is washed out.
A shortened game would reward fast starts. The Statesman notes that,
given the scoring patterns, a strong start could matter more if rain reduces the overs.
Whoever bats second would also have to plan around revised targets and a damp ball.
What the result would mean
For India, a win avoids a home series loss to West Indies. Business Standard says India
will look to avoid another T20I series loss
under captain Shreyas Iyer.
West Indies have a stronger claim to momentum. They have won two of the last three games, and a victory would be a rare series win in India. The Statesman calls it
a significant achievement against India on their home turf.
India’s next assignment follows quickly.
Bhuvneshwar had earlier received a call-up for India’s upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, which begins in Christchurch.
The selectors will be watching who copes with the pressure in Bengaluru.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the India vs West Indies 5th T20I start?
The match starts at 7:00 pm IST on Saturday, 17 October, which is 13:30 GMT. The toss is scheduled for 6:30 pm IST at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Will rain affect the India vs West Indies match in Bengaluru?
It could. The India Meteorological Department has issued a thunderstorm and lightning warning, and AccuWeather gives a 90% chance of precipitation on the day. A rain-hit game would be shortened under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Is Arshdeep Singh playing in the 5th T20I?
That is unconfirmed. He took a blow to his left bowling shoulder in Hyderabad, and the BCCI said it would decide before the match. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been added to the squad as cover.
Check the toss at 6:30 pm IST for India’s decision on Arshdeep or Bhuvneshwar, and for West Indies’ call on batting or bowling first under the dew forecast. After that, the radar over Bengaluru matters as much as the lineups, since a delay would change the plans of both captains.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo, Al Jazeera, The Statesman, CricTracker
