Daijiworld Media Network

Mumbai, Mar 31 : Your perceptions are misplaced if you just see this as a semifinal. This is a test of IPL's hospitality. This is a mismatch because a sibling warfare always is. This is a fistfight between West Indies's flair and India's self-belief, a race between Caribbean resilience and Indian desperate ascent, a war between home supremacy and T20 allegiance. We're moments away from seeing Kohli's divinity take on Gayle's might. Toss and team updates are on their way in a tuk-tuk, as India's cricketing Mecca awaits a Wrestlemania.

West Indies have won the toss and have opted to field

Teams:

West Indies (Playing XI): Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin(w), Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy(c), Carlos Brathwaite, Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah

Dhoni: 'We were looking to bowl first as well. There maybe dew later on but you can put the opposition under pressure with a big score. We haven't quite been at our best. That gives you the hope that once we start firing on all cylinders, it will be difficult for others to match us. This is one wicket that has something for everyone. Not the biggest boundaries and you can freely play your shots. As far as the atmosphere is concerned, it's hard to go beyond the Wankhede stadium.'

Sammy: 'We are going to bowl first. As I have said from the beginning, we came here for a mission. It's going to be a tough game today but one that we are prepared for. Gayle comes in for Lewis. Simmons comes in for Fletcher. There is the belief in the team that we came here to win. We came here to win and before the tournament we said that we have to beat India at home. After India, probably the second favourite team would be us. So it's okay playing India at home. We are ready for the challenge.'

Deepu Narayanan has burnt some midnight oil to pull these numbers out. Go through them below to admire our Stats Editor whilst whiling away your time. (Yes, he is selfless)
- This is the first time West Indies are playing India in a T20I in India. In head-to-head T20Is, both teams have won two matches apiece.
- West Indies have chased in all their four matches in this World T20 while India have done the chasing thrice in four games.
- Chris Gayle needs two more sixes to become the first player to hit 100 sixes in T20Is.
- Chris Gayle's 98 against India in the 2010 World T20 in Bridgetown is the highest score by a captain in World T20s.
- Among all the venues for this World T20, Mumbai has the lowest dot ball percentage (32.30%) and the highest boundary percentage (23.13%).
- India has the lowest run rate (5.67) among all the teams in the first six overs in Super 10s.
- Virat Kohli has scored 36.43% of the total runs India scored throughout the tournament - 110 runs more than the next placed MS Dhoni.
- Virat Kohli has scored 536 runs in 2016 - the most by a batsman in a year in T20Is. His six fifties is also the most by a player in a year in T20Is.