Bumrah, Pandya rock middle order after Hope’s slow start
By Sidharth Monga
Mar 1, 2026, 7:46 AMThe excitement around the india vs westindies match continues to build ahead of this series.
Pandya strikes in final over
Hardik Pandya struggled early, going for 34 in his first three overs. India looked to get out of his fourth over quickly. He started with an offcutter that bounced on Shimron Hetmyer’s attempt to run it down to third, and Hetmyer was caught by Sanju Samson. In the context of india facing westindies, this wicket was pivotal. West Indies were 119 for 4 in 14.1 overs.
Bumrah gets Chase as well
Jasprit Bumrah produced a match-turning 12th over. He took Shimron Hetmyer’s wicket, followed by Roston Chase caught at cover. Chase, opening for the first time in international cricket, scored 40 off 25 balls but struggled to recover from Shai Hope’s innings in this India vs Westindies contest.
Bumrah removes dangerous Hetmyer
Bumrah dismissed Hetmyer in just three balls. Hetmyer attempted a pull, the ball hit the bottom edge, and UltraEdge confirmed the wicket. Hetmyer was out for 27 off 12. As seen in the india versus westindies clash, West Indies were 102 for 2 in 11.3 overs.
Hetmyer hits Varun
Bowled by Varun Chakravarthy, Hetmyer scored a six and a four off the shorter balls. India delayed bringing in Bumrah despite Hetmyer’s aggression. Given the match between india and westindies, West Indies were 99 for 1 in 11 overs.
Hetmyer regains sixes record
Shimron Hetmyer hit 19 sixes in this World Cup, reclaiming the record for most sixes in a single edition after losing it briefly to Sahibzada Farhan. In the india vs westindies match, these sixes maintained the pressure.
Long 10th over by Pandya
Pandya bowled the 10th over, conceding a six to Hetmyer and several wides. With the match between India and Westindies heating up, West Indies were 82 for 1 in 10 overs.
Varun’s wicket streak
Varun Chakravarthy has taken at least one wicket in 20 consecutive T20Is. This achievement stands out when comparing india vs westindies bowling strengths.
Axar keeps West Indies in check
Axar Patel conceded just 25 runs in his first three overs despite getting hit for boundaries. Shai Hope scored 32 off 33 balls, controlling the strike. In this india versus westindies encounter, West Indies were 45 for 0 in six overs.
Chase starts to accelerate
Roston Chase scored 10 off 6 balls against Arshdeep Singh before Axar Patel took over the bowling duties. As the india vs westindies match progressed, India kept Bumrah back for Hetmyer.
Hardik Pandya takes new ball
Pandya bowled the first two overs. Shai Hope scored a six over wide long-on and a four through square cover. Early in the india vs westindies match-up, West Indies were 23 for 0 in three overs.
Openers for West Indies
Roston Chase and Shai Hope opened in the absence of Brandon King. Arshdeep Singh bowled the first over with a deep field, setting the tone for india vs westindies from the start.
India unchanged
India stuck with the XI that won their first must-win match after losing to South Africa. Sanju Samson continued as opener. Rinku Singh returned to the squad but was unlikely to play. This approach reflected India’s strategy in the india vs westindies fixture.
West Indies team changes
West Indies left out Brandon King for Akeal Hosein. They used three spin options: Roston Chase (offspin), Akeal Hosein (left-arm spin), Gudakesh Motie (left-arm finger/wrist spin) during their match against india.
Team lineups
West Indies: 1 Roston Chase, 2 Shai Hope (c & wk), 3 Shimron Hetmyer, 4 Rovman Powell, 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Romario Shepherd, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Matthew Forde, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Shamar Joseph.
India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Suryakumar Yadav (c), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy. These squads demonstrate the depth of talent in both india and westindies.
Kolkata conditions
Eden Gardens hosted a warm night with mid-20s temperatures and no rain. Notably, india vs westindies saw India aiming to chase under slightly overcast skies.
Key players to watch
Abhishek Sharma and Roston Chase were important for their respective sides. Sharma took time to get his rhythm against spin. Chase is the only spinner in the West Indies squad who can bowl away from left-handers. In the context of india vs westindies, these players are pivotal.
Match stakes
India needed a win to reach the semi-finals. West Indies had a chance to make it with a victory. In the stakes of india facing off against westindies, India dominated in bowling, while West Indies relied on heavy hitters.