West Indies defeated India by one run in a record run-laden T20I clash on Saturday after piling up the third highest ever total in the game’s shortest format.
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In the first game featuring two full-strength worldwide teams on American soil, West Indies amassed 245 for six with opener Evin Lewis smashing a century off 49 balls on his second T20 appearance.
But his fellow opener and Saturday centurion Evin Lewis went for just seven and, after Charles fell to the first ball of the sixth over, making it 50-2, West Indies began to struggle.
That was just the start of the entertainment, however, as Lokesh Rahul took India to the brink of victory as he made full use of the small boundaries with an unbeaten 110 from 51 balls.
Chasing a target of 246, India required 2 run of the final ball and Dhoni only managed to scoop a comfortable catch to the short third man.
The second match of two back-to-back T20s at the rarely-visited Central Broward Regional Park venue takes place Sunday.
At one time, it looked like the West Indians would run away with the highest ever T20 worldwide score as they reached 199 for 1 at the end of 15 overs but India made fine a comeback in the final five overs, conceding just 46 runs and taking five wickets in the process. For those who missed it, fear not, India and West Indies will do it all again on Sunday.
For the West Indies, it was the ideal way to move on from a dispiriting 2-0 Test series defeat to India in the Caribbean.
Chasing a very big target of 245 runs, India fell just one-run short to secure what would have been a record chase as they went nil-one in the series.
Charles, however, continued his excellent form, finishing with 25-ball 43, which was the highest score for his side. It means 13 more runs in the remaining four overs with no loss of wickets would handed them the game and squared the two-match series.
US witnessed West Indies batting charisma as openers Johnson Charles (79) and Evin Lewis (100) hammered Indian bowlers all-round the park to post massive 245 runs for the loss of six wickets. “Lots of sixes were scored, in fact there was more sixes than boundaries and so it was tough on the bowlers, but still the bowlers that got hit with lesser number of sixes ended up at the winning side”.
Indian captain Dhoni’s decision to insert the opposition in backfired as the West Indies batsmen rained 13 fours and 21 sixes on a flat pitch.
Mishra was pick of the bowlers as he scalped three wicket and gave away 24 runs from his four overs.
Bhuvnehswar Kumar was also impressive alongside Shami and later Ashwin and Bumrah choked the West Indies.
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Fal: 1-31, 2-48, 3-137, 4-244.
