Hosein: West Indies will not be intimidated as five-match T20I series begins in Lucknow
Akeal Hosein said West Indies will not be intimidated by India as the two teams begin their five-match T20I series in Lucknow on Tuesday. He acknowledged India pose a strong threat but stressed the visitors will meet the challenge head-on.
India come into the T20I sequence after winning the preceding ODI contest 2-1, while West Indies aim to build on a strong finish to that same ODI series. Historically, West Indies have won only two of their 12 bilateral T20Is in India. India have won 20 of the 31 matches between the two sides.
Hosein insisted the series will be decided by preparation and execution rather than intimidation, saying: "They (India) know the brand of cricket we play. We know they're a dangerous team but we're not going to back down as well." He added: "Both teams are looking forward to the challenge. It's just about who plans it best and who executes it best. We're going to focus on the things that we can control."
One of the visitors' principal concerns is India's top-order firepower. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are all included in India's T20I squad, with Abhishek and Samson among the options to open and Ishan offering an additional aggressive left-handed presence.
Hosein flagged the powerplay as a particularly testing period for bowlers, especially spinners, and said he welcomes the contest: "I mean you are not scared to bowl in the new world, in fact you relished that challenge. We know India's T20 top players are top 3, how devastating it looks." He noted the constraints bowlers face early in the innings and the need to execute plans.
The West Indies coaching group and players also pointed to specific powerplay conditions: only two fielders are allowed outside the circle, which can enable batters to attack more deliveries and make even small mistakes costly. "I think bowling in the power play in general is pretty scary especially when you are a spinner. You have a short space to work with on the pitch, and then you have two guys out. It is also extra difficult when you have good batting surfaces and these guys who strike at high strike rates," he added.
West Indies' record in bilateral T20I series in India is poor: they have lost all four such series played there, including one against Afghanistan and three against India, with India whitewashing them 3-0 on both occasions when West Indies toured in 2018 and 2022. The first match of the five-game T20I series takes place in Lucknow on Tuesday.
