What a first T20 international we were treated to between West Indies and India on Saturday afternoon and when the two sides meet in Florida again in the second match of two on Sunday everyone will be hoping we get plenty more of the same.
489 runs were scored in the first match with no fewer than 32 sixes, two centuries and a whole raft of boundaries in a match decided by just one run. With the aim of promoting the game in America the sport of cricket could have asked for nothing better.
West Indies
Although the West Indies only won by a solitary run in the opening game of the two they would have been sick had they lost it. They will be both pleased and disappointed with the first match. Of course the delight will come in their batting performance in particular Evan Lewis’ excellent century but disappointment will come in their bowling effort to allow India to get so close.
It goes without saying that the West Indies will aim to bowl a lot better although on a beautiful batting track how possible that is remains to be seen. They can take confidence from the fact they might still have more to come with the bat which is pretty remarkable when they have just posted 245.
India
In many ways India will be annoyed to have lost the opening game. At half time few would have given them a chance of getting close let alone winning the match but going into the final over needing just eight to win amazingly they would have been favourites to win only to fall a run shy.
It doesn’t take a lot of working out that India have to improve their bowling if they are to take a share of the series. There was only one of their bowlers who went for less than 10 an over and you’re not winning many matches when that is the case.
Team News
Chris Gayle missed the first match through injury and it remains to be seen whether he is fit to play in this one. Given the closeness of the two matches you would suggest not but if he does play he could well come in for Lendl Simmons.
India might decide to change their bowling around and if they do then Umesh Yadav could come into the side. Having shipped 32 in the only over he bowled Stuart Binny is the obvious man to make way especially given that there was plenty of batting behind him and even he wasn’t needed.
Betting
I was proved right not to get involved in the match betting in the opening game and just on what we saw in that game I’m not going to do it here either. We saw how hard the ground is to defend and the first game had an exhibition feel to it and I’m in no rush to predict the outcome of those sort of matches.
I took the sixes in the first match but the line has gone up to 19.5 in the only one I can find at the time of writing this preview and even though there were 32 in the first game it is hard to justify a bet on that line, certainly the overs at least, although I wouldn’t really want to take it on either.
One bet I’m happy with though is the highest individual score where a line of 68.5 looks nice. Both sides had men who covered that in the opening game and there is still the likes of Rahane, Kohli, Simmons, Samuels and Fletcher who can back up what we saw in the first match.
We know the wicket is excellent for batting and there isn’t a whole lot different that the bowlers can do to combat that so all things being equal I’m expecting another high scoring match which should yield a score of at least 69 runs from somebody involved.
Tips
VOID – Back Highest Individual Score – Over 68.5 runs for a 4/10 stake at 1.85 with Coral
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