India vs West Indies Prediction & Match Preview – 1st T20I, Lucknow

India and West Indies begin the T20I leg of the series at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday 6 October, with a 7:00 pm local start.

India, captained by Shubman Gill, are expected to include Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad and KL Rahul, with Naman Dhir and Ravindra Jadeja in the middle order. Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna are the likely bowlers, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel and Mohammed Siraj in the squad.

West Indies, led by Shai Hope, have John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Amir Jangoo and Sherfane Rutherford in the likely batting order, with Roston Chase and Keemo Paul as all-rounders. Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales and Vitel Lawes lead the bowling.

The middle overs are likely to be decisive, with spin potentially controlling the scoring rate. The pitch can slow, so chasing may be tough if wickets fall regularly.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

The Ekana Stadium pitch is generally slow and slightly helpful to bowlers, with grip and turn for spinners in the middle overs and cutters and slower balls working for pacers. Batters may find stroke-making hard early and need time before accelerating, and the relatively large boundaries make shot selection and strike rotation important. It is expected to be a tactical surface where disciplined bowling counts.

Weather

Warm at 26–28°C with partly cloudy to clear skies at the 7:00 pm local start. Humidity should be around 65–70% and the chance of rain is very low. Light winds are expected, and some dew could make the ball skid on later, possibly helping the chasing side.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 160–170
• 2nd innings: 150–165