West Indies defeated India by one run in a record run-laden Twenty20 clash Saturday after piling up the third highest ever total in the game’s shortest format. And, after Marlon Samuels somehow dropped Dhoni off the first ball, India’s veteran captain was left needing just two from the final delivery to win and only one to force a decisive Super Over.
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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.
Since breaking into the Indian team, KL Rahul has only been on an upward moment.
In all 32 sixes were hit on the day while the 489 total runs was the highest ever for a T20I match, beating the 469 in an IPL game in 2010.
An unfazed Charles though flicked Shami for another six with the strength of his wrist and followed it up with consecutive boundaries.
Bhuvnehswar Kumar was also impressive alongside Shami and later Ashwin and Bumrah choked the West Indies.
In the end, India didn’t hit the new world winning, but Rahul’s days as a super sub are pretty much over.
West Indies on Sunday set a target of 144 runs for India in the second T20 worldwide match in Florida.
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.
India’s Rohit Sharma has moved up five places to reach 17th spot following knocks of 62 and 10 not out, while Johnson Charles of the West Indies has vaulted 26 places to a career-best 23rd following innings of 79 and 43.
The dismissal of Charles brought in all-rounder Andre Russell, who was promoted to keep the run-rate soaring.
“Eight runs from six balls, you would always back the batting team to get that”.
Carlos Brathwaite (18) smashed a six and four off Mishra in the 18th over but the captain was bowled off the Indian’s last ball of his impressive spell.
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Star TV, taking into account the strategic considerations behind the staging of the two global matches in Florida, the match officials, on the request of the two competing members, agreed to tweak the playing hours to allow the host broadcaster to overcome the technical difficulties.
