India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first against West Indies in the fourth T20I of the five-match series at Uppal Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
India lead the series 2-1 and will look to seal it with a win, while West Indies face a must-win contest to keep their hopes alive and force a series decider in Bengaluru.
Speaking at the toss, Iyer confirmed that India would field the same playing XI that featured in the third T20I. He pointed to the relaid surface and expected bounce as key factors behind the decision to bowl first.
“We are going to bowl first. That’s one of the major reasons – the relaid surface. We have played on such wickets before. There is going to be bounce as well because the surface is very hard,” Iyer said.
He also cautioned his team against underestimating the West Indies batting line-up, while praising India’s composure during their 14-run victory in the previous match, in which they defended a total of 223.
West Indies captain Shai Hope said his team would also have preferred to bowl first, stressing the importance of laying a solid foundation in a must-win game.
The visitors made two changes to their playing XI, bringing in Romario Shepherd and Jewel Andrew in place of Kamil Pooran and Sampson.
India will rely on their unchanged combination to secure the series, while West Indies will aim to level the contest and take the five-match series into a decisive fifth T20I in Bengaluru.
India vs West Indies 4th T20I: Playing XI
India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav.
West Indies: Shai Hope (wk/c), Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Shamar Springer, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph.