India vs West Indies, 5th T20I Toss: Bhuvneshwar Kumar In, Match Reduced To 9 Overs Per Side

India to take on West Indies in the 5th T20I [Source: AFP]

The India vs West Indies T20I series has produced a run-feast, and it came down to the wire as the two sides are set to collide in the 5th T20I at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The first blood in the series finale was drawn by Shai Hope, as he won the toss and put India in to bat.

Rain delayed the start of play, and hence, the match has been reduced to a 9-overs per side affair, with the powerplay of just 2.4 overs. For the must-win contest, India have made two key changes.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns to India's playing XI

India have strengthened their bowling attack by bringing in Bhuvneshwar Kumar into the bowling attack. He last played for India in 2022, and the right-arm seamer will play his first competitive game for India in four years.

Moreover, the Chinnaswamy Stadium is Bhuvneshwar’s home ground, since he plays for the RCB team in the IPL.

Arshdeep Singh is fit after suffering a shoulder injury in the last game, and he will play in the main XI as well.

Apart from Bhuvneshwar, Shivam Dube also makes the cut in the playing XI for the all-important match as Nitish Reddy is out with illness.

When Was The Last Time West Indies Won A Bilateral Series In India?

India vs West Indies: Playing XIs

India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav

West Indies Playing XI: Shai Hope (c & wk), Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Shamar Springer, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph

India vs West Indies: Who has the advantage after toss?

West Indies have a clear-cut advantage after the toss, and it is mainly due to the reduced overs. In a rain-curtailed match, batting first is always trickier since the team has no idea what the winning total could be.

Hope opted to field first, keeping in mind the DLS, so that if the rain arrives again, the West Indies will have a clear target in front of them. Moreover, batting second has been the West Indies’ strength in the ongoing series, and they will back it up again.