Lauderhill, Florida: If cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties, then its T20 version is sheer caprice. It seems that it was invented not merely to electrify but also confound punditry. Or else how can one justify India’s one run loss to West Indies in the first T20 match of the two-match series being played at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, here on Saturday.
After being in control till the last over of the game – thanks to some stupendous batting by KL Rahul (110 not out) and his fourth wicket 107-run stand with skipper MS Dhoni – and requiring just eight runs off the last over with Captain Cool, who is known as the best finisher of the game, at crease, India failed to achieve the target as Dhoni gave a simple catch to Marlon Samuels off DJ bravo on the last ball with one run behind.
Nevertheless, the game of cricket was the winner as nearly 500 runs were scored with two batsmen – one from each side – scoring a scintillating century.
Batting first, West Indies set the tone as Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis gave their team a rocketing start as the duo added 126 runs in just 9.3 overs before was blowled out by Mohammed Shami for 79, which he made in just 33 balls. But it was Lewis, who got the opportunity in absence of injured Chris Gayle, who made the most of his chance by scoring a century (100 off just 49 balls) before R Ashwin caught him off a Ravindra Jadeja’s delivery.
And had it not been for some fantastic death over bowling by Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, West Indies could well have gone past 260. However, they could score 45 runs in their last five overs and set a huge target of 245 runs before the Indians.
Though India got off to a solid start and reached 31 in 3 overs, they lost Rahane to a superb catch by Bravo off Andre Russell at the third man. Virat Kohli too opened up from the word go but gloved a bouncer by Bravo to wicket-keeper Andre Fletcher.
But when everyone thought that it would derail India’s chase, KL Rahul rose to the occasion and played like a champion in the company of Rohit Sharma. They both took the attack back to the West Indies camp with Rohit leading from the front. He scored 62 of just 28 balls before giving a catch to Charles off a Pollard delivery.
Thereafter, Dhoni joined Rahul and the two accelerated the innings, scoring 13-14 runs per over that brought India very close to the victory line. KL Rahul in the meantime became only the third Indian after Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina to score an international ton in T20.
Needing 8 runs in the last over, India could manage only six in the next five balls. Wih Dhoni on strike, it was a game in India’s favour, but the captain mistimed the ball which went straight into the hands of Samuels, giving the match to the West Indies.
