India vs West Indies: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav's fearless approach helps India draw parity

For India, it was a must-win game at Lauderhill in Florida on Saturday but the major reason for the Men in Blue being pushed into a corner was their top-order batters failing regularly to get the big scores. The Indian openers had been below par in the first three games of the five-match series and it was the scintillating innings of 83 not out by No 3 Suryakumar Yadav in the third T20I that allowed India to have something to fight for as the caravan moved to the USA.

But for how long can India depend on Individual brilliance?

Rookie Tilak Varma made 39 and 51 in his first two T20Is, the first two games of the series as well, but the failure of other batters to show up cost India both matches despite the Mumbai Indians batter’s heroics.

Collective failure and an overcautious approach had seen India suffer on the slow tracks of the West Indies. The sluggish tracks made hitting through the line tougher but with Indian openers and the rest of the batters going into the shell too much, they made the job a lot more daunting, putting pressure on themselves.

In that context, the introduction of Yashasvi Jaiswal has come as a breath of fresh air for Team India.

After sitting out in the first two T20Is, Jaiswal was handed his debut cap for the shortest format in Guyana during the third match and while the debut lasted just two balls as the Mumbai opener got out in the first over trying to slog one over the long-on, the approach made one thing clear  — Yashavi is going to take the bull by its horn.

Continuing the same approach, and helped by the batting-friendly conditions at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in the fourth T20I, Jaiswal blasted 84 not out off 51 balls including 11 fours and three sixes to take the series to the decider as India secured a nine-wicket win in the must-win clash.

Jasiwal’s audacious batting

If you think the falt pitch is solely responsible for Jasiwal propelling India to victory, one must take a relook at his dismissal in the third T20I. Not worried about his place in the side and not perturbed by the pressure of debut, Jaiswal had gone all guns blazing from the start, losing his wicket on the second ball of his innings.

Forgettable outing on debut