WhatMatch 28 of the ICC 2015 World Cup, between India and West Indies
WhenFriday, March 6, 2015 - 12:00 IST| 06:30 GMT
WhereWestern Australia Cricket Ground, Perth, Australia
The teams
IndiaIn their first three matches of the competition, Team India has ticked almost every box required for them to defend their World Champions title. Their batsmen have delivered, bowling has been disciplined and smart and the Men in Blue have been nothing short of brilliant in the field. None of their opponents so far have managed to put India under pressure. All three wins have been easy. India’s all-round performance made them look easy.
Along with keeping on the winning track, India will also look to give games to the reserve players before the knockouts begin. Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled five overs against the UAE and he would be looking forward to bowling to the likes of Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith. Mohammad Shami is fit but whether he will return or given a few more days to rest will have to be seen.
West IndiesThe men from the Caribbean have had a rather tumultuous ride in the tournament so far. Their performance has swung from brilliant to abysmal in their four matches, losing to Ireland and South Africa and beating Pakistan and Zimbabwe. How they fare against India will be a fair assessment of their strength as a team. This game is also crucial for them in terms of their standing in the points table. Although ranked third currently, below India and South Africa, West Indies have Pakistan and Ireland trying to pip them to the post.
Key players
IndiaIt is fair to say that Chris Gayle will feature prominently in India’s team meetings ahead of this clash. The good news for MS Dhoni is that he has two bowlers in his armoury who have had remarkable success against Gayle, especially in the limited overs formats. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has often troubled Gayle, a significant occasion being the 2013 Champions Trophy. The Indian seamer stifled him for runs before eventually getting him to edge one to the slip. R Ashwin, with his pace variation, has beguiled the dangerous opener on various occasions in the IPL.
West IndiesFresh from a double century, against Zimbabwe, Gayle is surely the main man for West Indies in their attempt to compete with India’s batting strength. The key for Gayle is surviving the initial five overs. If he is still at the crease after that, he will, more often than not, punish the bowlers.
StatsAverage first innings score at Perth (overall): 222
Average first innings score at Perth (since 2010): 238
Average second innings score at Perth (overall): 190
Average second innings score at Perth (since 2010): 187
Result summary at Perth:
|
Matches
|
Won by side batting 1st
|
Won by side batting 2nd
|
Tied
|
|
Overall
|
40
|
36
|
1
|
|
Since
2010
|
8
|
6
|
0
|
Head-to-head:
|
Matches
|
Played
|
Ind won
|
WI won
|
NR
|
Tied
|
|
Overall
|
115
|
52
|
60
|
1
|
2
|
|
in
Australia
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
|
at Perth
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Last meeting between both sides at Perth:December 6, 1991, India 126 in 47.4 overs, WI 126 in 41 overs. Match tied
Form guide (most recent listed first):India: W, W, W, L, NR
West Indies: L, W, W, L, L
Pace vs Spin at Perth (Who has been more effective)
since 2010
|
Wkts
|
Avg
|
SR
|
RPO
|
Best
|
|
Pace
|
176
|
25.53
|
30.95
|
4.95
|
5-19
|
|
Spin
|
47
|
29.21
|
36.64
|
4.78
|
4-25
|
TriviaA win tomorrow and MS Dhoni will equal Kapil Dev’s tally of most wins (11) by an Indian captain in the World Cup.
Only four out of 26 occasions has a side successfully chased down a target of 250 at Perth. The last such occasion was in 2005 when Pakistan beat Australia by 3 wickets chasing a target of 266.
SquadsIndia: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Stuart Binny, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Mohit Sharma.
West Indies: Jason Holder (capt), Marlon Samuels, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Darren Sammy, Denesh Ramdin, Lendl Simmons, Andre Russell, Sulieman Benn, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor.
