ICCWorld Twenty20: The Mumbai Blockbuster

West Indies are dangerous, unpredictable, explosive in fits and starts and have among their ranks the single most potent match turner in the game — Chris Gayle. He can score a 49-ball century with 11 sixes all his own, and without premise; he can tear apart any opposition; he can demoralise any bowling attack on any surface and in any scenario.

Top this with the 2012 champions being in the top of their form, enjoying their cricket, winning and showing a cool balance, and India have yet another match at hand — a high pressure, do-or-bye blockbuster.

But India have things which no other teams can boast of - they have top ranked Virat Kohli in super duper form, they have the coolest thinking captain in the world in MS Dhoni and they sport the tag of being the best chasers from a corner. Other than that, they also have Ravindrachandra Ashwin who has, in the past, got WIndies' best weapon Gayle walking out of the middle cheaply more often than any other bowler, four times out of nine encounters between the two teams.

Gayle is an old (36 years) hulk in the middle who would be looking for a song with the bat. The Wankhede wicket is a good one and Gayle has had good times here, as has Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Come to think of it, both teams are even Stevens. Both have lost their sheet anchors to injury — Yuvraj Singh and Andre Fletcher; both have had just one man firing — Virat and Gayle; both have lost one each in the Super 10s and both are eyeing their second shot at T20 World Cup glory.

In the match against England, Fletcher played the vital role of shielding Gayle from the other end and his replacement Lendl Simmons would pretty much be required to do the same if the pinch-hitting Jamaican gets going.

Yuvraj, who had pretty much emerged as a crucial damage-control man at No 4, what with the Indian openers walking cheaply, will be sorely missed, more so because he was on twin duty with both the bat and the ball.

On way to Kolkata, India may be flying high with Kohli's class and form and a tidied up bowling department now adept and chopping run rates of oppositions, but as team director Ravi Shastri warned on match eve, at least six or seven players have to show up for the crucial semi final. "You would need it in a big game like the semi final. We have played only up to 70 per cent of our ability till now. The 30 per cent areas need to be improved. In a semi final you've got to get your A game. You can't depend on one or two players, you need 6 or 7 players to step up.... it has not happened so far, let's hope it happens tomorrow," he added.

India and Dhoni both know that the West Indies are one of the most dangerous sides so caution, care and precision will be key. A sound strategy to trap Gayle before he makes a mess for the hosts and some contribution from his openers and Dhoni would be on sound ground.

The Indian skipper has good memories of the 50-over World Cup Final at Wankhede and this time round, he would be looking for a repeat performance to reach the Final frontier. The match is full of juice, the pitch full of opportunities. Whoever exploits the platter best would be biting the apple at Eden Gardens. Already West Indies skipper Darren Sammy (remember his 4 for in the T20 match at Port of Spain?) has admitted the contest against India is the one like the one between David and Goliath. Another matter though that he smilingly reminded that it was David who won the mythical contest, David here being West Indies.

M S Dhoni will keep that in mind.

Source: The Pioneer, 31 March, 2016