West Indies’ Jason Holder (AP Photo/Bikas Das) As India prepare for a crucial Super 8 clash against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, former cricketer Manoj Tiwary delivered a light-hearted but focused message to the Men in Blue. He joked that failure to overcome the Caribbean side in their ICC T20 World Cup clash may even affect their future IPL prospects.The upcoming match is effectively a knockout, with the winner sealing a place in the semi-finals and the loser heading home. Both sides have two points from two games in the Super Eight stage. They each recorded commanding victories over Zimbabwe but were outplayed by South Africa, making the competition a straight battle for qualification.
India vs West Indies: Greenstone Lobo predicts fate of do-or-die World Cup clash
During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Tiwary backed India to bounce back strongly and pointed to their recent batting fireworks.“India scored 256 in their last match, so they should go through from that position. There is no pressure at all. They are expected to score over 200 and beat West Indies easily. If they can’t beat West Indies, nobody will get IPL contracts,” Tiwary said with a smile on his face.Former India opener Virender Sehwag, who was part of the same panel, struck a more measured note. He reminded the fans that no side can be underestimated at the global event.“It can happen; it’s not like we’re invincible and can’t lose to anyone. The other team is also there to play and win. You had one bad day; that day you lost to South Africa. Then we beat Zimbabwe and now if we beat West Indies we’ll qualify with a laugh,” Sehwag said.He also reflected on the intense public reaction that followed India’s defeat in South Africa.“Our country is quite emotional, it gets emotional quite quickly. After losing a single match, people reacted as if we had lost the World Cup,” he added.With England, New Zealand and South Africa already through to the semi-finals, the final spot will be decided in this high-pressure clash between India and the West Indies.
