India are set to face the West Indies in the fifth and final T20I in Bengaluru on Saturday, with the series locked at 2-2. Ahead of the decider, former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has backed Sanju Samson to carry his confidence from the previous match into the series finale, while weighing in on the possibility of including teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI.Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan’, Nayar praised Samson’s approach in the fourth T20I, saying the wicketkeeper-batter appeared to be back in his rhythm and could play a decisive role if he spends more time at the crease.
‘Dangerous Sanju was back in his rhythm’
Nayar felt Samson’s start in the fourth T20I was particularly encouraging, with the batter looking settled and in control at the crease.“In the beginning, it was a very good strategic call, with Sanju Samson taking the strike. After that, the way he was batting, it felt like he was setting himself up for a big one because he was in control. His base was good, along with control, and his head was steady. It felt like that dangerous Sanju was back in his rhythm in the last game. He will take this confidence into Bengaluru, and I feel this Indian team will be in a much better position because a lot of the batters are in form. It’s only a matter of them delivering together,” Nayar said.India could not convert the promising start into a victory, but Nayar believes Samson’s innings offered encouragement heading into the series decider. He also pointed out that while Abhishek Sharma was not at his best, Samson stepped up to give India the momentum they needed.“Yes, Abhishek Sharma wasn’t in his greatest of flows, but Sanju Samson took over. That start, even though India didn’t get that result, is invaluable because you could get close. So, you want to take that confidence going forward and say, if Sanju can bat for a few more overs, then in the next game, India will be sitting pretty in making sure they win the series 3-2.”
Nayar tempted by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi , but favours bowling changes
With the series on the line, India could consider changes to their playing XI. However, Nayar believes the team management faces a difficult decision, particularly if it considers bringing in 15-year-old Sooryavanshi.The youngster’s inclusion would raise questions about the batting order, as Nayar feels Sooryavanshi should be used as an opener rather than being asked to bat outside his strongest position.“I think India are in a Catch-22 situation. I’ll take a punt and try and go the Kuldeep Yadav way. So, I may replace Naman Dhir with Kuldeep Yadav and get Nitish and Axar one place up. Axar Patel has also played that role of a floater really well for Team India when he has been sent up,” he said.Nayar admitted that he was keen to see Sooryavanshi feature in Bengaluru, given the conditions at the venue. However, he stressed that selecting the youngster would require a reshuffle at the top of the order, potentially affecting other batters’ roles.“I am very tempted to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. But are you going to play him out of position? If Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is playing, then he plays in his strongest position, which is opening. And if he is opening, then whoever is number three should also be playing in his strongest position. However tempted I may be to see Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, that too in Bengaluru in such good conditions, I will make changes in the bowling, not in the batting at all,” Nayar added.His preferred option is to strengthen the bowling attack by bringing in Kuldeep Yadav, potentially at the expense of Naman Dhir, while moving Nitish Reddy and Axar Patel up one position. The suggestion would allow India to make a tactical adjustment without disturbing the existing batting combination.India, will have to assess the availability of Arshdeep Singh, who suffered a blow to his left shoulder during the fourth T20I in Hyderabad. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been added to the squad, with a decision on his participation to be taken before the match based on his recovery.With the series evenly poised, India will be looking to secure a 3-2 victory on home soil, while the West Indies have an opportunity to claim a series win in India.
