‘Aggressive’ hosts ready to go all out against West Indies in 4th T20I

A power-packed West Indies batting has put India under immense pressure in the T20I series thus far. Captain Shai Hope’s consistent batting has been largely responsible for their resurgence of sorts in the white-ball format.

After the series was tied 1-1 in Ranchi, India bowlers managed to bounce back and go 2-1 up in Indore. Vice-captain Tilak Varma thinks they need need to hunt for wickets rather than contain a power-packed West Indies batting line-up to achieve success. The fourth match is in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

“The West Indies are a really good side, especially in the T20 format. They play so much franchise cricket, so they know how to play this format. The power they have is
unbelievable,” Tilak said at the pre-match news conference on Tuesday.

“Everyone can hit the ball. It is not just the openers, number three or four. All their players can strike the ball, and even the 11th batter can come in and hit. Until all 10 wickets fall, the game is not over. We cannot relax.”

India’s bowling unit came under scrutiny after the defeat in the second match. The visitors capitalised in the Powerplay to pull off a record chase in Ranchi.

“Initially, in the second game, we did not go for wickets. We were slightly defensive when they (West Indies) were scoring runs. But after that, as a team, Gautam (Gambhir) sir also mentioned that we can go for wickets and show that aggression,” he said.

India bounced back with a 14-run win in the third T20I in Indore, restricting the West Indies to 209 despite another late assault from the visitors.

The re-laid pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is expected to offer a different challenge from the venue’s usual surface.

“You cannot go all out from the first ball without assessing the conditions. In one-
day cricket, you can take five or six balls to understand the wicket, but in T20 cricket, you have only one or two balls before you need to get going,” Tilak said.

“Haven’t seen the track yet, but will see how the conditions behave initially and go accordingly. It is a fresh soil track, so let’s see how it goes.”

It will be Tilak’s first game at his home ground and he admitted that the vice-captaincy tag carries extra weight. “It is a really proud moment that I am leading the Indian side as vice-captain and playing in front of the Hyderabad crowd,” he said. “It will be a really special moment for me.”