Losing a T20 match is hard to digest. Losing it in your own backyard makes it more indigestible. Losing it by a significant margin is embarrassing. But it’s shameful to realize that you are out of the race halfway through the innings.
West Indies never collapsed yesterday in their batting venture. Almost all the batters raised hopes and lost their wicket. The last of such hope existed when Nic Pooran and Powell were at the crease. After Pooran’s exit, the Islanders knew the countdown to defeat had just begun.
India sacrificed all-rounder Deepak Hooda to insert an extra spinner in the form of Ashwin. It worked! The three spinners, Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi and Jadeja, not only ran through the WI batters but also pegged the run rate. Arshdeep Singh received a rough welcome but avenged it by removing Myers.
The ball was often in Pant’s gloves than in front of the wicket. West Indies succumbed to a mere 122, which was unexpected. Even by the Boys in Blue!
Earlier, the Windies opted to field after winning the coin toss. It was indeed a shock to see Surya Kumar Yadav open but more shocking was his batting. He made a painful 24 with Rohit Sharma blazing away at the other end. Shreyas Iyer came in when his score was at zero and left the crease at the same score. Pant and Rohit indulged in some big hitting, and the Indian’s run rate was rallying like the Stock market. Alas! Hardik Pandya fell for a paltry score quickly after Pant.
Rohit Sharma was the next to fall but not before he scorched the West Indies bowling. Jadeja started well but fell with Dinesh Karthik at the other end. Ravi Ashwin walked in, and the two Tamils spoke a different language with their bat.
Ash rotated the strike, and Dinesh Karthik sealed any open window for the West Indies to creep in through. DK hit 4boundaries in addition to two sailing over it. His strike- rate stood at 215! He remained unbeaten, and none of the West Indies could beat his strike rate. He was awarded the ‘ Player of the Match “, and the two most ignored players from the Southern State are well in contention for a spot in the T20 World Cup in October 2022.
Match summary:
| India Batting:Total Score: 190/6 ( 20 Overs)Rohit Sharma- 64 (44)Dinesh Karthik- 41*(19) | West Indies Bowling:Alzarri Joseph- 2/46Akeal Hosein- 1/ 14 |
| West Indies BattingTotal Score: 122/8( 20 Overs)S. Brooks- 20 (15)N. Pooran- 18(15)K. Paul -19* (22) | India Bowling :Arshdeep Singh- 2/24R. Ashwin- 2/22R. Bishnoi- 2/26 |
Result: India won by 68 Runs.
Player of the Match: Dinesh Karthik.
