India vs West Indies 2nd T20I: Samson Retained, Windies Bowl First in Ranchi
West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl in Ranchi as India kept Sanju Samson in an unchanged XI, with a 2-0 series lead on offer in the second T20I.
The second T20I between India and West Indies in Ranchi on Friday, 9 October, is under way. The main talking point is Sanju Samson's lean run at the top of the order, with the bowlers also under the spotlight on a damp surface.
Samson's form in focus
Samson is the one sore point in a batting line-up that has otherwise been firing, according to The Times of India. His last four innings read 9, 7, 2 and 11. The partnerships he has been involved in across the previous four matches were worth 7, 12, 2 and 29.
That raised the question of whether 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would get another chance at opener alongside Abhishek Sharma. India decided to stick with the established pairing of Abhishek and Samson.
Samson said the team had a decent hit in the nets after a travel day. He added that he feels he has played well enough and wants to keep trusting his game plan rather than second-guess himself.
Sooryavanshi still drew the biggest crowd at India's nets on Thursday. Rediff reported he repeatedly cleared the boundary while waiting in the wings.
Teams and toss
West Indies captain Shai Hope said bowling first was a "no-brainer" because the ground was already wet and he expected conditions to get worse. He said his side want to learn from the first match and be more disciplined against a quality India team.
India captain Shreyas Iyer said they also wanted to bowl first and hoped the pitch would stay the same. He wants the team to be fully engaged for all 40 overs.
India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav.
West Indies: Shai Hope (c, wk), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie.
The bowling and the home hero
Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel give India what The Times of India calls a settled spin attack. With a wet surface and West Indies choosing to chase, the bowlers will be under watch.
Iyer has covered for Samson's struggles. He recently hit his maiden T20I century in his 68th match, and the middle order has carried India so far.
Ishan Kishan is playing on his home ground. Assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak said Kishan is "much more mature now" since returning to the team.
What it means for you
The match is under way or about to start in India, so followers in other time zones should check a live scorecard for the latest. The sources do not name broadcasters or streaming services for Australia, the UK, the US or Canada, so check your local rights holder. A win would give India a 2-0 lead in the series.
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Quick answers
Who won the toss in IND vs WI?
Shai Hope called correctly and West Indies chose to bowl first.
Is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi playing?
No. He is not in India's unchanged XI, which keeps Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as openers.
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