This will be the first time India will be playing global matches in the United States of America and skipper Dhoni seems to be satisfied with infrastructure at the stadium in Lauderhill.
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Richards asserted that the best players should be available for test cricket, with the best players coming out of test cricket being drafted into IPL.
“I was thinking this was going to be a makeshift venue, having never seen this. All in all, I’m very impressed with the infrastructure here”. “The wicket looks ideal for a T20”, said Kumble.
No wonder, Ashwin took the onlookers by surprise as he quizzed: “What do you think of cricket going to the US?”
With Pollard joining the likes of hard hitting Gayle, Charles, Braithwaite and Russel, the West Indies look a ideal T20 batting lineup with Simmons, Fletcher and Samuels capable playing the anchoring role in Cricket’s shortest format.
The two-match series is set to become an annual event in the U.S. as part of BCCI’s efforts to reach out to new markets and audiences. “Earlier people living in U.S. used to travel to the the West Indies to support us but now they have the opportunity to catch the action here itself”, said Dhoni, who is expecting a bigger crowd support for his team than the West Indies.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) named Brathwaite to lead the side against India in two T20 matches in Florida.
“I learned a lot from Anil Kumble”. “They are extremely committed, very disciplined and you tell them what you need and they are ready to put their hand up and do it”.
“I’m really looking forward to working with him and the new set of boys like (Jasprit) Bumrah who’s joined as well”.
The current head coach of West Indies recollected fond memories of beating India in the World T20 semifinal in Mumbai and said that playing against top sides serves as a motivation to do well. Brathwaite, who has previously been at the helm of the West Indies A team, has taken over from Twenty20 World Cup-winning captain Darren Sammy.
West Indies opened the series disastrously, slumping to an innings and 92-run defeat inside four days at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, failing to get 250 in either innings. “We are professionals, we all know what we have to go out there and do”, he said.
“But as a team we think we can assess ourselves at the end of this season, not one Test at a time”, he added.
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The series would again be a test of India’s batting “class” against the Windies “power play”.
