The first match, in which a T20I record aggregate of 489 runs were scored, saw Lewis slam a 49-ball 100 in the West Indies’ total of 245 for six that has helped him move up 288 slots to reach 51st rank. India had a similar century stand, with Rahul and MS Dhoni adding 107 off 8.1 overs, a rate of 13.10.
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West Indies players celebrate winning the match off the last ball at Central Broward Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on August 27, 2016. “But in my mind I was thinking ‘really?'”, he said.
Amit Mishra and Ravichandran Ashwin picked up five wicket between them to ensure that India restrict West Indies to 143 inside 20 overs. He said he hoped to “go from strength to strength”. It is very disappointing to be on the losing side but what’s good to see is that we did not give up half way through.
While the first five overs fetched West Indies 50 runs, India conceded only 26 in the next five, bowled by spinners, and also took two wickets. “Happy with the approach, but disappointed with the result”.
But skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni could only scoop a Dwayne Bravo delivery into the hands of Marlon Samuels at short third man to leave India agonisingly on 244-4. “I know it was a fantastic team effort by the boys”. None of the Indian bowlers came out unscathed as they were butchered by the batting pyrotechnics of the world champions.
The southpaw mauled seamer Stuart Binny for five consecutive sixes in the 11th over to propel the Caribbean side to the 150-run mark, while reaching the three-figure mark himself of 47 balls with a single from Jadeja before being dismissed in the same over.
And Windies captain Carlos Brathwaite (18) smashed a six and a four off Mishra in the 18th over but was then bowled by the leg-spinner, before Shami bowled Samuel Badree for one to end the innings with two balls remaining.
“Before the final ball, we were just fiddling with the field or wondering if to do a double bluff or if just to stop the two, so Bravo finally decided and ‘I said what’s your plan?’ And he said a slow ball”. “Just unfortunate it was one of those days when the game could’ve gone anywhere”.
On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council clarified that it was, in fact, on request from the two Boards, the BCCI and the West Indies Cricket Board, that the match timings were tweaked, reported Cricbuzz.
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India thus failed to pull off the highest ever successful run chase which still stands at 236 for 6 which the West Indies pulled off against South Africa in January a year ago in Johannesburg.
