Internet Desk: There was a hurricane threat, as well as the forecast of thunder and rain showers, and all of it came true at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida on Saturday, as it poured sixes and fours in a match that had 489 runs scored in exactly 40 overs.
West Indies held its nerve to beat India in a thriller to win the first of two Twenty20 Internationals, scoring 245 for 6 after blitzes from Johnson Charles, first, and then Evin Lewis, who scored a 49-ball 100. In reply, India rode on KL Rahul’s maiden T20I ton, but stopped at 244 for 4.
Needing a record 246 to win their first ever international match in the USA, India put up a spectacular batting display with KL Rahul slamming an unbeaten 110 off just 51 balls and Rohit Sharma cracking a dazzling 62 off only 28 balls with four boundaries and as many sixes.
When captain MS Dhoni joined Rahul in the middle, India were 137/3 and still needed an improbable 109 off 49 balls. The two batted fearlessly and brought the team within touching distance of a memorable victory. Three sixes were hit of Andre Russell’s third over as India accumulated 20 runs in the 17th over. Needing 33 off 18, the equation was brought down to just eight from the final six balls with seven wickets still in hand.
If Dhoni is credited for keeping his cool in crunch moments, Bravo too has mastered the art and it was a direct shootout between the two close friends. Bravo foxed Dhoni off the first ball, but Marlon Samuels dropped a sitter at short third-man giving India a lifeline.
A visibly disappointed Bravo still regrouped and gave away just five more off his next four deliveries. Needing two to win off the final ball and secure a historic chase, Bravo resorted to the slower ball again and it resulted in an action replay with Samuels making amends this time to dash hopes of thousands of Indian fans.
It was just the second instance of India losing a T20 match by one run and incidentally for world champions West Indies, it was their first such triumph. For those who love the big hits, there was nothing to complain about as the 31 sixes were recorded in 40 overs and it was the first time in a T20 international that two batsmen scored centuries. The ball was set rolling by Evin Lewis, who replaced the mighty Chris Gayle.
There was no stopping West Indies batsmen after India elected to bowl first as barring R. Ashwin’s one over, a boundary was hit in the 19 of the allotted 20 overs. The West Indies batsmen smashed 21 sixes to post a mammoth 245/6, the third biggest score in the history of T20 cricket. The first six overs fetched 78 runs, the most ever conceded by India.
Lewis, who had got out for a duck in his maiden T20 innings, put aside his forgettable innings and came out all guns blazing. West Indies got to 100 runs in just 46 balls as records kept tumbling like a pack of cards.
There was no respite from either end as Johnson Charles too hit the top gear from the start and reached his half-century in just 20 balls (5×4, 4×6). Introduced into the attack in the 11th over, Stuart Binny was carted for five sixes and he ended up conceding 32 runs. Lewis, who literally seemed unstoppable registered his breathtaking maiden hundred in only 48 balls.
The Indian fans who waited patiently for their team to strike had plenty to cheer in the latter stages as RavindraJadeja struck twice in the 16th over to get rid of Andre Russell and Lewis soon after he reached the landmark.
In the final over of the innings, Jasprit Bumrah’s two yorkers knocked down Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons’ stumps off successive deliveries after his first ball of the over had resulted in a run-out. Rahul was adjudged Man of the Match for his electrifying century.