Holi celebrations in India will experience a different shade this year. India is all set to take on West Indies at Perth in their fourth group league match of the ICC World Cup 2015 on Friday. Team India is loaded with confidence as MS Dhoni and his men have delivered a near perfect performance in their first three games. Meanwhile West Indies too received some sort of a boost after Chris Gayle notched up the first World Cup double century and the team registered two back to back wins against Pakistan and Zimbabwe. India is currently leading Pool B whereas West Indies are ranked number 3 on the points table.
Weather forecast for Perth could not have been more welcoming. Bright and sunny conditions are expected on Friday with a good easterly breeze of about 15-20 kmph. Maximum temperature will hover around 31°C whereas minimum will stick close to 18°C. Overall, conditions seem to be perfect for an exciting day of cricket.
The defending champions will walk out with confidence, consistency, and an untimely controversy behind their back. The blue-eyed boy of Indian cricket, Virat Kohli, was in news for the all the wrong reasons only recently. Kohli’s inappropriate behavior with an Indian journalist has led to a lot of drama ahead of the game at Perth. Meanwhile, West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy fired warning shots via some friendly banter, saying that India can celebrate Holi while his team will be celebrating a victory. Moreover, run machine Chris Gayle has also expressed his doubts regarding his continuation in the West Indies Test side. Will ‘Gaylestorm’ be shifting all his focus to limited overs cricket then? Well, that’s just bad news for bowlers in the ICC World Cup 2015.
Coming to team selections, India will have to make a difficult but crucial choice. Strike bowler Mohammed Shami has been declared fit but with Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the side, who becomes the scapegoat? Mohit Sharma would’ve been an easy choice but the right-arm medium-fast bowler has been more than impressive lately. But Dhoni will have to take a call and it is going to be a tough one for captain cool. Meanwhile, the West Indies camp will be looking to consolidate. Inconsistency plagues the Jamaican camp and there are areas where the players will be looking to make amends.
To sum it up, India are sure favorites for the ‘Holi’ contest. But if the West Indies camp manages to regroup and deliver a complete performance in every aspect, they may be able to upset the upbeat Indian squad. Skymet will keep you updated on cricket, weather, and more as the ICC World Cup 2015 juggernaut rumbles ahead.
