The West Indies batters have to solve their issues against spin bowling should they look to beat India and save the series in the second fixture at the Eden Gardens on Friday.
Like a deer caught in the headlights, the Windies batters had no answers to Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi's vicious deliveries. It limited their movement, footwork and most importantly, the mind.
Nicholas Pooran's counterattack ensured a competitive total (157/7), but the bowlers' lack of homework was visible as India chased the target down with seven balls to spare.
West Indies head coach Phill Simmons needs to have a word with the bowling group to tighten their line and length. They looked flustered by India's left-right combination from the top order to the middle. Off-spinner Roston Chase (2/14) was the only bowler who put his hand up - he choked the runs and picked up the wicket of Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma.
Fast bowler Odean Smith made a huge mistake by keeping the length slightly short against Rohit, a master puller.
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The Caribbeans are expected to pull things back, especially because the second T20I will be the 100th for captain Kieron Pollard. But it remains to be seen if they field the same squad. Darren Bravo's inclusion in the XI could provide stability in the middle-order. And Dominic Drakes has the X-factor to turn the tide in crunch situations. He could be a replacement for Smith.
Jason Holder had missed the opener after getting hit on the chest in the training session. He is likely to be available. "Jason seems fine, he should be ready for the next game. I do not know the details of his niggle, so I cannot say about that," said Nicholas Pooran.
Plus, the West Indians are not used to the dew. They will have to find ways to negate that in the remaining games. "Dew was a big factor. The bowlers struggled to grip the ball, and the wicket played better in the second-half of the game," he added.
The Indians will be playing their natural game, and Rohit is likely to maintain the XI unless the hand injuries to Deepak Chahar and Venkatesh Iyer turn serious. The duo sustained blows to their right hand while fielding. Venkatesh, however, batted in full tilt and even hit a six to win the game for India.
Kuldeep Yadav could further add to the woes of the West Indies batters. The chinaman bowler is tough to read, and with Bishnoi snaking in from the other end, it will be challenging for the batters to tackle the duo. Chahal needs to sit out in that case.
Shreyas Iyer had to sit out the first game as he couldn't provide a few overs with the ball, which Venkatesh did. He is likely to feature in at least one game in the series.
Finally, if Virat Kohli - the second-highest T20I run-scorer - regains form, it will be the perfect finish for the host.
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