India again firm favourites, T20 series to provide ideal platform to youngsters

Tarouba (Trinidad): Less than 48 hours after their ODI series triumph, India will switch to T20 mode, again as overwhelming favourites against the West Indies in a five-match rubber starting here from Thursday, which will provide an ideal platform to the youngsters to express themselves.

In the preceding threematch 50-over rubber that had some context in the year of the ODI World Cup, India emerged victorious 2-1 after a shock defeat in the second match and the fancied visitors will have their tails up in the T20 series, too.

Led by dynamic allrounder Hardik Pandya, India will look to give opportunities to hungry guys such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma and Mukesh Kumar in these five matches beginning with the opener at the Brian Lara Stadium.

It was their stellar performances in the Indian Premier League that have earned the likes of Varma and Jaiswal a maiden callup to India's T20I squad and they will certainly look to make the most of it.

On the other hand, the selectors, in the first meeting with Ajit Agarkar as their chairman, brought back Sanju Samson, and the seasoned swashbuckler batter-cum keeper will strive to make the opportunity count and see where he stands as far his place in the ODI World Cup squad is concerned.

Given the West Indies' terminal decline across formats in recent times, the Indians are expected to call the shots. Ravi Bishnoi is also back in the squad with Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, who will be the spin options alongside Axar Patel.

With Hardik and his deputy for the series -- the last two matches of which will be held in Florida -- Suryakumar Yadav occupying two slots in the middle-order, and the likes of Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill and Jaiswal at the top, it makes for an intimidating batting line-up and the Indians are expected to rake up big totals if the coin lands in their favour at the toss.

Besides newcomer Mukesh, whose threewicket burst rocked the West Indies top-order in the final ODI here on Tuesday, India will have the trio of Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik and Avesh Khan shouldering the pace bowling responsibility.

Teams: India: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar. (PTI)