Promising batsman Lokesh Rahul’s 110 not out went in vain as West Indies managed to sneak past India by one run in the nail-biting first T20 worldwide at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground here on Saturday.
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Despite pulling-off highest successful run chase in T20 global matches, India could only manage to score a total of 244 for the loss of four wickets, falling behind the victory line by one run. Evin Lewis scored a magnificent ton, and KL Rahul replied back with an even wonderful ton, which almost helped India win a last ball thriller.
With the century, the Karnataka batsman has now become the third Indian to score a century in all three formats of the game.
And, now the Indian will love to bounce back to square the two-match series.
The likes of Ashwin, Jadeja, Kumar and Shami failed to make the impact. If those two happen, spectators can expect another spectacular contest between these two sides and the boisterous crowd will really feel happy that every penny was worth spending over the weekend.
It is an important match for MS Dhoni who did look sharp for most of his innings yesterday.
West Indies also paid the price for giving Rahul another chance on 38 when skipper Carlos Brathwaite dropped him at long off off Andre Russell.
But with India needing eight runs off the last over, all-rounder Dwayne Bravo produced a brilliant last over that cost just six runs, and Lewis was quick to praise his teammate.
Although, just like India, even the bowlers of the Carribean team suffered the thunder of blast from the batsman of India. In fact it was in the first 12 overs where we gave away too many runs.
Lewis, standing in for the injured Chris Gayle, reached exactly 100 off 48 balls with five fours and nine sixes and when he was out off the fifth ball of the 16th over, world champions West Indies were 205-3.
Hello and welcome to our coverage of India taking on West Indies.
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The way the West Indians were hammering the Indian bowlers, it seemed that Dhoni’s decision to insert the opposition in backfired but his boys were up to the task and they were on the verge of turning the match on its head with a vintage batting performance only to fall short by just one run.
