The teams play a second Twenty20 at the same venue on Sunday (local time).
Advertisement
Chasing a mammoth 246, Rahul struck the second fastest century in T20 Internationals to guide India to an nearly improbable win before the last ball twist changed the fortunes of the men in blue.
Absence of Super Sopper at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium meant that the game could not be re-started at cut-off time.
Two-time ICC World Twenty20 champions West Indies, who were six points behind second-placed India’s 128 points before the series, are now just one point adrift at 125 with India on 126. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see with which team combination India will enter this match.
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.
It is believed that Amit Mishra might replace Stuart Binny in the match.
Bumrah (2/26) was consistent with his line and length, while Mohammed Shami also chipped in with two scalps. They even went after Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the next over and the score was 50-1 after 5 overs. Generally, the match gets started at the scheduled time but on this occasion it was chose to delay the start.
An unfazed Charles flicked Shami for another six with the strength of his wrists and followed it up with consecutive boundaries.
INDIA: R Sharma c Charles b Pollard 62A Rahane c Bravo b Russell 7V Kohli c Fletcher b Bravo 16L Rahul not out 110MS Dhoni c Samuels b Bravo 43EXTRAS: (lb2, w4) 6 TOTAL: (4 wickets; 20 overs) 244FOW: 1-31, 2-48, 3-137, 4-244. The strapping Windies batsman dispatched balls to the boundary ropes with consummate ease. West Indies batsmen, who had scouraged the Indian bowlers in the first match, today found the going tough and were bowled out in 19.4 overs. Lendl Simmons was stumped cleverly by Ashwin as he bowled a very wide delivery after watching Simmons come down the pitch. Normally on a good wicket, let’s say if I am bowling four overs and get hit for 40 runs and get one or two wickets, that is good enough. West Indies will be without their two-time World Cup winning skipper Darren Sammy who has been stripped of his captaincy and deemed to be unworthy of a place in the side by the selectors. Bumrah cleaned up Andre Fletcher (3) and Mishra returned to get the better of Dwayne Bravo (3) and the very risky Carlos Brathaaite (18).
Advertisement
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. With just 33 more runs to win of 3 overs, India looked clear favourites with wicket in hand.
