Shai Hope won the toss at the Wankhede and didn’t hesitate. “A little bit more damp than expected,” he said, so West Indies will bowl first against a Nepal side that already know this ground well.
There’s one enforced change for the Caribbean outfit. Romario Shepherd is sitting out with what the captain called “a slight little niggle”, so 22-year-old seamer-all-rounder Matthew Forde steps in. It’s a like-for-like swap on paper, though Shepherd’s lower-order hitting will be missed.
Nepal have tinkered too, though theirs is tactical. Skipper Rohit Paudel, who keeps sounding more assured with every outing, felt an extra seamer was worth the gamble. Left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi drops out, fast-bowling all-rounder Sompal Kami returns. Paudel’s reasoning was straight to the point: he reckons Kami will be “more effective” on this surface under afternoon sun.
Both sides have already experienced contrasting evenings here. West Indies chased down England under lights, while Nepal have battled through two daytime fixtures – one win, one sobering defeat – and believe they understand the ebb and flow of this strip.
Teams
West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (capt), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph.
Nepal: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Rohit Paudel (capt), Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami.
What to watch
• Joseph’s raw pace v the new-ball caution of Bhurtel and Sheikh should set the tone.
• Forde’s first World Cup appearance – can he replicate Shepherd’s strike-rate with either discipline?
• Lamichhane’s leggies later on; even with the extra dampness, he remains Nepal’s trump card.
A short turnaround – the sides will barely have 38 overs between them and the mid-February Mumbai heat – means whoever handles fatigue and humidity may nick the marginal gains. Bowling first feels logical, but chasing here can still be a roller-coaster. Expect movement early, a quick outfield by dusk, and, if past form holds, plenty of work for deep square leg on both flanks.
