semi-final match against West Indies in Mumbai on Wednesday. (PTI
MUMBAI: With Yuvraj’s injury-forced ouster disturbing their settled line-up, India have been left with a selection dilemma to handle as they gear up to take on the flamboyant and spirited West Indies in what promises to be a battle of nerves in the World Twenty20 semifinal here on Thursday. The no-holds barred battle between the 2007 champions India and the 2012 title-winners West Indies is expected to ultimately be decided by the ability of the players to handle the pressure in front of a full house at a venue where the hosts captured their second ODI World Cup crown almost five years ago. Both teams go into the clash after getting beaten once each in the Super 10 stage and as such the team that grabs its chances is expected to come out triumphant. The head-to-head record between the two rivals in past World T20s is 2-1 in favour of the West Indies. However, India, with a strong team on paper, seem to have the edge although quite a few players have not lived up to the expectations. But the crowd favourites would be wary of being upstaged by the Caribbeans, who have quite a few match-winners of their own. Kohli has been the biggest galvanising factor in India’s progress this far. With his consistently excellent display in an otherwise misfiring top-order, he is the batsman that Windies will be wary of the most, apart from ever-reliable skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. India suffered a shock opening game defeat at Nagpur against New Zealand but then picked up pace to get the better of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Australia to be one victory away from entering their third summit clash in six editions. Windies, powered by Gayle force, ensured their entry into the last four with creditable victories over England, South Africa and Sri Lanka before coming a cropper against minnows Afghanistan. The home team, on the other hand, will be hoping that Kohli’s brilliant run, which included a masterclass of 82 not out against Australia in the do-or-die game, continues unabated. They would also be eager to see that the underperforming opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan — who are averaging around 10 after four games — come good at a venue considered ideal for stroke-making. Also under the pump has been Suresh Raina at no. 4. The left-hander’s position has become weak with every passing match. It’s imperative for India’s chances against the varied attack of the Windies, in which leg-spinner Samuel Badree has emerged as the highest wicket-taker, that the top-order fires in unison and does not depend only on the brilliance of Kohli to lead the way. Ashwin has had a fair measure of success too, claiming Gayle four times out of nine in T20’s but the world stage is a different proposition altogether. The pitch has produced three high-scoring games so far with South Africa, already eliminated, notching up back to back 200-plus totals. But indications are that the track for Thursday’s high- pressure game would not be as good for batting as the previous ones. It’s expected to be a tad slow, which should help India more than Windies. (PTI