Bhuvi, Bumrah expected to quell aggression of Windies batsmen, but visitors confident of being up to the task in third ODI at Pune
India pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (left) and Jasprit Bumrah. Pic/AFP
Two days after preventing India from taking a 2-0 lead through a tied result at Visakhapatnam, the Jason Holder-led West Indies side toiled for more than three hours on a humid 33C degree afternoon at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje here yesterday.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli & Co preferred not to practice on the eve of the third ODI in the five-game series. Though the pitch here is expected to be batting-friendly, it will be interesting to see how in-form batsmen Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope tackle India pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bumrah's yorkers and Bhuvneshwar's accuracy will be a big test for the visitors.
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West Indies Coach Stuart Law
West Indies's Australian coach Stuart Law, who joined the team after a two-match suspension, caused due to a breach in the ICC code of conduct during the second Test against India in Uppal, felt that the Indians drafted in Bhuvi and Bumrah for the remaining games of the series because of the capability of his batters.
"That's probably the reason why they've called back their two most experienced one-day bowlers. We understand it was always going to be tough, but to our credit, we haven't shied away. We've had numerous honest discussions about how to improve and how to tackle the Indian team. The conversations we've had, the honesty that's been there… has been great for us.
"They are giving us plenty of questions to ask ourselves but at this stage, we are coming up with pretty good answers. I know it's a tight series, we have still got a win to level it tomorrow, so we understand the enormity of it. But we are not backing down," said Law.
Though India's top order will have no worries on the confidence front, veteran MS Dhoni could well be concerned over his form. He hasn't scored a 50 in his last 10 innings. It is to be seen whether the MCA Stadium, his home ground for a couple of T20 seasons a few years ago can witness a return to form and luck.
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