India had scored 249 runs, only five wickets had fallen and the innings ended with a spate of sixes. However, none of that was enough in Ranchi as West Indies sensationally levelled the T20I series 1-1 with a six-wicket win.
The turning point came when India could not control the scoring when the visitors’ top order batters got going. Axar Patel gave up 63 runs in 3.3 overs while Kuldeep Yadav kept a shade of 53 from four. It was a night with a lot of India spinners having trouble with in-control deliveries, as the West Indies unleashed the attack on nearly all opportunities on a dew-covered surface.
Shai Hope was the target of the attack. The West Indies skipper finished unbeaten on 102 off 45 deliveries, flinging the ball over the boundary line on a number of occasions and leading the charge through the tough times of the second innings. Sherfane Rutherford then added to the game by hitting 84 out of 37 balls to make it even more lopsided.
The visitors had started a very different way. Mayank Yadav removed Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer in the first over, giving West Indies just two wickets to keep, after the opening over. Later, as India tried to take a lead, Mayank took Rovman Powell off.
But the good old girl, Hope, did not let the setbacks rain on the innings, He was joined by Rutherford who took the required rate under control before the middle overs were over, attacking the Indian bowling. Even Rutherford’s walk-off 72 didn’t bring the Indians any comfort as his performance was paired with their own.
Romario Shepherd then unleashed the killer finish. His 34-not-out partnership with Hope, which had been a war effort, dominated the closing moments of the game as a sequence of Boundaries was produced. Hope hit a winning six off Axar Patel to make it 100 off the same six deliveries for West Indies to secure their top successful chase in men’s T20Is.
On most nights, India’s batting was good enough to win. Sanju Samson, who had come off a dry spell, slammed in 82 runs and Ishan Kishan added 43 runs from 22 deliveries. The 97-run partnership between the duo in their 43 balls put India in a strong position at the midway point of the match.
Roston Chase temporarily held that balance but was unable to break the momentum as he took three wickets and prevented India from going on an extended run in the middle of the innings for 24 runs. An explosive phase however came on the cards in the last 20 deliveries, as Shreyas Iyer hit 40 off 18 balls and Tilak Varma knocked 44 balls unbeaten to bring India to 249/5.
The Indian sixes were 13, and the West Indies were 20. The difference was vital in a game which depended more on the boundary hitters than on the overall strength of the team.
The dew made their job even tougher for the bowlers to hold onto the ball and put the plan into action for the Indians. The overall score of the match was 501, but the bigger lesson for India was that that much can’t be covered when the attack loses control in the chase.
The Windies are now 1-0 up and have a level series. However, India will have to find a way to safeguard big totals when the conditions are conducive to the batters.