West Indies won the series 1-0 by virtue of their dramatic one-run victory in the first game at the same venue.
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India’s limited-overs captain MS Dhoni has lashed out at officials after the second T20 worldwide match against West Indies was called off due to wet outfield.
Heavy rain forced the game at the Central Broward Regional Park to be abandoned with India well-placed on 15-0 off two overs in pursuit of a modest 144-run target.
MS Dhoni and Carlos Brathwaite (2L) of West Indies agree with umpires Patrick Gustard (2R) and Joel Wilson (R) to abandon their match due to rain during the 2nd and final T20i between West Indies and India. “You can’t blame us for rain”, said the BCCI secretary without going into the details.
Brathwaite felt that the time factor played a key role in the second T20I not being resumed.
“Technical issues” was all the explanation that the scoreboard offered at the stadium, as the match got delayed at the beginning. India was on 15 for no loss at that stage. Leslie Reifer and Joel Wilson, the on-field umpires, eventually decided that the minimum of five overs couldn’t be bowled by the cut-off time. “It was always hard to get the ground in readiness for the time that was told to be cut off, so that was a major problem”. That was the major problem.
“We were always working against time especially with the 40-minute delay beforehand”, Brathwaite said. “It’s fantastic effort by both of them”.
However the captains were concerned about particular areas at the top of the bowler’s run-up that did not dry up and the game was soon called off.
“So, in my opinion, it was unsafe.”
“In my opinion, I don’t think it was and the umpires also made that decision as well”.
The Indian fans were left heartbroken in Lauderhill when no result was possible in the second T20.
West Indies skipper Carlos Brathwaite said his team would love to comeback to the United States and play again. “As a young man, that means a lot to me”.
“This is one place where we can come back and play cricket – a triangular or four-nation series”, Dhoni said at Sunday´s presentation in comments carried by the cricinfo website. The other opener Charles was more successful as he tonked a six and two fours in the same over.
“Obviously I’ve played two games [before] on the wicket. For me to share the knowledge and get that knowledge will serve me in good stead”.
“I want to make a statement, since there were apprehensions about the circumstances surrounding my elevation to the leadership of the West Indies team”.
“Yes it will be a bit cramped (sic) for worldwide cricketers but I don’t think the modern cricketers mind it. I think everybody batted really well”, he added. “So they had stands built in no time, no injuries so obviously they were safe enough, and the outfield, barring the rain was flawless, lightning quick”.
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“Barring the rain, it was an excellent one and a half games”. It didn’t change too much over the course of yesterday and today, that’s 40, 62 overs odd, so that’s the basis of something positive.
