India will leave no stone unturned in order to keep the hapless West Indies side on the back foot and will aim for a clean sweep in the third and final Test, beginning in Mumbai on Tuesday. The hosts have cantered to a 2-0 lead, winning the opening Test in New Delhi by five wickets and the second in Kolkata by an innings and 15 runs, with a day to spare in both matches.
India, who tour Australia next month, will be pleased with the dominant display of their young bowling attack in the absence of injured pace man Zaheer Khan and axed off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha have anxious the West Indies batsmen with their clever variation on slow tracks to maintain 13 wickets apiece so far in the series.
Seamer Umesh Yadav, who like off-spinner Ashwin made his Test debut in New Delhi, backed his spinners in Kolkata with a seven-wicket match haul. Paceman Ishant Sharma is the most well-informed bowler in the squad with 40 Tests, while Ojha, Ashwin and Yadav have a combined tally of 17 matches.
The whole bowling unit looks very balanced,said Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni ahead of the Test at the Wankhede stadium. The fast bowlers look fresh, which means they can bowl a lot of overs. The spinners are also bowling in the same way. All of them are fairly fresh and raring to go. They back themselves which is very important in Tests.
India also showed their batting prowess in Kolkata when they posted a mammoth 631-7 declared, with VVS Laxman, Dhoni and Rahul Dravid dominating the West Indies attack with centuries. Millions of fans are keenly awaiting an unparalleled 100th international hundred from batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar, who has so far scored one half-century in three innings in the series.
India have made one modify to their winning squad by bring batsman Rohit Sharma in place of Yuvraj Singh, who was dropped after making just 66 runs in the three innings. But Sharma, who is yet to play a Test after figure in 67 one-day internationals, faces opposition from Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane for the number six spot.
The India captain said his team predictable a stiff challenge from the West Indies in the final Test, particularly after the tourists' second-innings batting presentation in the last match, when they scored 463.We will try our best to make it 3-0,said Dhoni.
The West Indies are a good side. As you have seen in the second innings, they have talented batsmen. We are expecting a tough match.Left-hander Darren Bravo showed the way with a sparkling 136, his second hundred in three Tests, while Marlon Samuels, Adrian Barath and Kirk Edwards made half-centuries.We will play with a lot of pride and fascination. We won't be support down and we will go out looking for a win,said Bravo.
Squads:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Rahul Sharma, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron.
West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford.