India eye series-levelling win in 4th T20I, runs from openers
Lauderhill (USA), Aug 11: India will hope that batsmen will helm their march towards a series-levelling victory over the West Indies with another impact effort in the fourth T20 International here on Saturday.
India might have stayed afloat with a win in the third T20I but Windies still lead the series 2-1, a quick reminder to the fact that the visitors still have concerns surrounding the batting unit.
It was a comforting sight indeed to see Suryakumar Yadav flicking on his beast mode and Tilak Varma chipping in with crucial runs. But India's opening combination continued to falter.
India had handed T20I debut to Yashasvi Jaiswal, resting Ishan Kishan. But for the third successive match, the pair at the totem pole position failed to impress, making just six runs. Jaiswal got out to pacer Obed McCoy in the first over itself.
In the previous two matches, Kishan and Shubman Gill had managed to score just five and 16 for the first wicket to place some amount of pressure on the middle-order.
Whether India will bring back Kishan for this match remains to be seen, but the management will hope for a more potent outing from the openers in a must-win match.
That India do not have a handy bat lower down the order, makes it mandatory for batsmen at the top to deliver. India have deployed Axar Patel at No. 7 to maintain the balance and they might continue to adopt the five-bowler policy.
Having said that, the way Tilak carried the burden on his young shoulders has been remarkable.
The sequence of 39 (22 balls), 51 (41 balls) and 49 (37 balls) might be a presage that the Hyderabad left-hander is ready for bigger stages in his career.
He is currently the leading run-scorer in the series with 139 runs while averaging 69.50.
Suryakumar hinted at a possible broadening of role for Tilak, his teammate at Mumbai Indians.
"We've batted (together) for a long time now. We both understand each other. It was his day to bat with maturity. He is batting with a lot of confidence and he helped me bat well too," Suryakumar had said.
Kuldeep Yadav returned to the side for the third T20I and his performance will certainly add to India's confidence. He had missed the second T20I with a sore thumb.
The left-arm wrist spinner bagged three wickets, conceding 28 runs from four overs.
West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran has been a thorn in India's flesh the whole series, but Kuldeep snaffled him before the left-hander blossomed.
Overall, three spinners -- Kuldeep, Axar, Yuzvendra Chahal -- gave a good account of themselves in the last match, and India will need an encore from them at the Central Broward Stadium.
In the initial part, the pitch here assists the batsmen but it often slips into sluggishness as the match progresses, evidenced by the 11 wins out of 13 matches registered by the team batting first.
As for the West Indies, they will not want to miss a chance to score their first series win over India after 2016 and will look for a far more cohesive display.
Teams:
India: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
West Indies: Rovman Powell (Captain), Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Obed McCoy, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, Odean Smith.
Match starts at 8 PM IST.
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American man’s video shows Blinkit delivery reaching in six minutes in Delhi
New Delhi: A video shared by an American resident living in South Delhi has drawn attention to the speed of India’s quick-commerce services after it showed a Blinkit order being delivered in just six minutes.
The video was posted by Charlie Evans, who shared it to show friends in the United States how delivery services operate in Indian cities. In the clip, Evans places an order for bottled water and a screwdriver at 5.43 pm. The delivery arrives at his doorstep at 5.49 pm, leaving him visibly surprised.
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In the video description, Evans described the service as “supreme” and noted that such a turnaround time would be difficult to imagine in most American cities. He explained that Blinkit works as a one-stop platform for daily and last-minute needs, offering items ranging from groceries to household tools.
Evans also spoke about the efficiency of delivery partners in navigating Delhi’s dense neighbourhoods and apartment complexes. He said he was often impressed by how quickly riders locate addresses, adding that finding the correct building is sometimes the only reason for minor delays.
The video gained traction on social media, with many users sharing similar experiences of rapid deliveries in Indian metro cities, where quick-commerce platforms commonly promise deliveries within 10 minutes. Some users commented that such services have become a routine part of urban life in India.
Similar observations have been made earlier by other foreign residents and entrepreneurs, including a US-based businessman who recently said he was surprised to receive orders from Indian delivery platforms within minutes, compared to significantly longer delivery times in the United States.
