Samson under pressure as India aim for 2-0 lead over West Indies in Ranchi

India target series control in Ranchi

India will aim to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series when they face the West Indies in the second match in Ranchi on Friday. The hosts won the series opener in Lucknow and will be pleased with their overall batting form, but Sanju Samson’s recent struggles remain a concern.

Samson’s lean run puts his place under scrutiny

Sanju Samson’s last four innings read 9, 7, 2 and 11, while his partnerships in those matches have been limited to 7, 12, 2 and 29. The Kerala batter’s lean run is the lone sore point in an otherwise firing batting line-up and it will prompt the team management to ponder over pairing teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with opener Abhishek Sharma.

India have so far backed the established opening combination of Abhishek and Samson. The decision will not be straightforward, as the team must weigh Sooryavanshi’s potential against Samson’s experience and the support the Kerala batter has received from the management.

Middle order covers, Iyer in form

While Sanju Samson has struggled for runs, India’s middle order has made sure his failures have not become a bigger problem. Captain Shreyas Iyer has played a key role in that recovery and has finally found his footing as T20I captain. He also scored his maiden T20I century in his 68th match in the format.

That form gives India confidence heading into the second T20I, but it also raises the question of how long the middle order can keep covering for Samson. India will hope their batting line-up continues to fire in Ranchi.

Sooryavanshi’s learning curve

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has shown that he has the shots and confidence to make an impact in T20 cricket, but his early international outings have also offered a reminder that the step up is not easy. He scored 14, 13 and 15 during India’s 0-3 defeat in the T20I series against England. At the Asian Games in Japan, he made 18 and 35.

The left-hander has shown that T20 cricket comes naturally to him in the limited opportunities he has received so far. His wide and unique range of shots, coupled with the ability to produce match-winning knocks, have made him a compelling package.

Pace attack questions after Lucknow

India could consider changing their pace-bowling combination after Mayank Yadav’s expensive outing in the first T20I at Lucknow. He conceded 16 runs in his opening over and was costly during the middle overs and at the death.

However, Mayank did manage to take an important wicket when he dismissed West Indies top-scorer Sherfane Rutherford in the penultimate over. The team management will have to decide whether to back him again or make a change for the Ranchi match as India look to build a 2-0 series lead.

India will also look at a change in their pace-bowling combination. Mayank Yadav leaked 16 runs in the opening over of the first T20I at Lucknow and was expensive through the middle and at the death. He, however, claimed the important wicket of West Indies top-scorer Sherfane Rutherford in the penultimate over. India could be tempted to bring in all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and trust him with the new ball, although that experiment did not work particularly well during the preceding ODI series.

Spin looks settled

The spin department, on the other hand, looked settled after Kuldeep Yadav joined veteran Axar Patel in the eleven. The pair picked up two wickets apiece and kept the West Indies batters under pressure.

Rookie all-rounder Naman Dhir was another positive to emerge, finishing with impressive figures of 3/31 with his off-spin. For the West Indies, the batting has to produce far bigger total than the 171 all out they managed in the opening game.