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Defending champions Team India won the toss and decided to field against the two-time champions West Indies in a do-or-die Super eight fixture in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup on Sunday. The high-voltage Super 8 fixture is being held at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The winner of the India vs West Indies high-voltage clash will qualify for the semi-finals along with South Africa, England and New Zealand. India and the West Indies have played four matches in T20 World Cup history. The Men in Maroon have won three, while the Men in Blue have clinched one victory. The Caribbean side dominated in the 2009, 2010, and 2016 editions with strong all-round performances. India's only win came in 2014, when their bowlers were key. In T20Is, India and the West Indies have played each other 30 times. India have won on 19 occasions, losing on 10 instances. One match ended as no result. West Indies and India will tussle it out at Kolkata in a repeat of their classic 2016 T20 WC semifinal clash in Mumbai. Holder has been important in WI's success this tournament, scoring 104 runs in four innings at a strike rate of over 176 and taking eight wickets at an average of 20.75 with a four-wicket haul to his name. Shimron Hetmyer has been WI's best bet with the bat, and his success at number three has been extremely heartening from WI's standpoint, having made 221 runs in six innings at an average of 44.20 and a strike rate of 182.64 and two fifties. Varun Chakravarthy continues to take wickets and is India's top wicket taker this tournament with 11 scalps at an average of over 13; his fortunes have dwindled a bit in the Super Eight phase. After winning the toss, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that they are playing with the same team which won the previous Super 8 game against Zimbabwe. "We will bowl first tonight. Looks good. It has been a chasing ground; the wicket gets even better, so chasing is a good option. It's already wild, and we will look to give a good show to the crowd. I think we ticked all the boxes last game. Same team," Suyakumar said. West Indies captain Shai Hope said that the team has made one change with Akeal Hosein replacing Brandon King. "We would have done the same (bowling). Playing consistent cricket is key for us. Most of the guys have been part of the IPL, and hopefully we can come out on top today. It's a do-or-die game today. This is what we play for - to play against big teams, best teams. One change, Akeal Hosein comes in for Brandon King," Hope said. Teams: India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(captain), Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah. West Indies (Playing XI): Shai Hope(w/c), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph. (ANI)
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