Sunil Gavaskar has warned India before the match against West Indies in the T20 World Cup. After the win over Zimbabwe, he asked West Indies not to take it lightly as their batsmen attack from the first ball.
New Delhi: India will face West Indies in the Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup on Sunday. Before this big match, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has given a big warning to Suryakumar Yadav and his team. Gavaskar says that the spectacular win against Zimbabwe is good, but do not make the mistake of taking West Indies lightly. Gavaskar said that India won big by 72 runs against Zimbabwe, but the challenge from two-time champions West Indies is completely different. He also said that the changes made by the Indian team in the playing eleven after the defeat against South Africa proved beneficial against Zimbabwe.
Don’t make the mistake of taking West Indies lightly…
Regarding the Windies batsmen, Gavaskar warned, “They start attacking from the very first ball. They do not wait to respect the ball, but show their respect by sending it across the boundary.” He said that therefore India will have to enter the field with a very precise plan.
Gavaskar praised Sanju Samson’s short but stormy innings against Zimbabwe. He said, “Sanju’s innings of 24 runs in 15 balls laid the foundation of India’s huge score of 256 runs. The six he hit on the long off on the back foot was amazing. This is not an easy shot. This shot showed his class.” Gavaskar further said that Sanju focused on giving a fast start to the team instead of making big scores and such ‘flying starts’ are very important in the tournament.
Abhishek Sharma did fine but…
Gavaskar also praised Abhishek Sharma, who returned after scoring 55 runs after being out on zero in three consecutive matches. He said, “Abhishek showed more understanding this time. He was ready to defend and respect the ball. This is a big lesson for a young player.” Gavaskar also expressed happiness over the fact that India made a strong comeback after the 76-run defeat against South Africa. He also described Akshar Patel’s bowling as beneficial for the team. Gavaskar reminded that if India beats West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, they will reach the semi-finals. Otherwise, the team will have to wait for the 2028 World Cup.