India vs West Indies: A perfect storm at Wankhede

In a one-sided affair at the Wankhede Stadium, India recorded their third highest T20 total, and three of their batsmen together clobbered 16 sixes and 19 fours.

If setting a target is work in progress for India, they progressed some distance on Wednesday. Virat Kohli’s side displayed a ruthless approach, piling up 240 for three batting first and then disrupting West Indies’ chase with early wickets to seal a 67-run victory in the final T20 tie and take the three-match series 2-1. In a one-sided affair at the Wankhede Stadium, India recorded their third highest T20 total, and three of their batsmen together clobbered 16 sixes and 19 fours. Rohit Sharma entered the record books by going past 400 sixes across formats in international cricket, while also bringing up the highest stand for any wicket in India-West Indies contests, with KL Rahul.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli with teammates celebrates the dismissal of West Indies. (PTI)

Kohli compounded West Indies’ misery with a rapid 70 not out off just 29 balls. Soft tissue damage in his right knee prevented Evin Lewis, their best batsman in the series, from being able to bat, making it a forgettable night for the Caribbean players who had hoped to win their first series in India.

The flamboyant Lewis had flayed Indian bowlers twice in the series to provide West Indies strong starts. But devoid of Lewis’ firepower in their chase, a re-jigged Caribbean batting line-up cracked under the pressure of runs India had piled up after being asked to bat.

The build-up to the series decider here was largely focussed on India’s ordinary bowling so far in the home season—exploited by West Indies who had hit 27 sixes in the first two matches—which forced Kohli to bring back the pace and accuracy of Mohammed Shami, and the guile of chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav over leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Washington Sundar, guilty of spilling a few catches apart from being hit for runs early on, came on to bowl as late as the 18th over.

But courtesy his own blitz—an extraordinary knock studded with seven sixes and four fours—and a record 135-run stand between Sharma (71 - 34b, 6x4, 5x6) and Rahul (91 - 56b, 9x4, 4x6), Kohli did not have to fret over his bowling combinations.

The six-hitting machine that West Indies batting is looked horribly out of touch, their first coming only in the fifth over with No. 3 Shimron Hetmyer hitting two in a row. Shami accounted for the dangerous Lendl Simmons, and Shivam Dube’s spectacular catch handed Nicholas Pooran a first-ball duck.

Hetmyer (31 – 17b) and Kieron Pollard put on 74 for the fourth wicket to help stage a comeback, but the asking run-rate pushed batsmen to take further risks. Pollard waged a lone battle (68 – 39b, 5x4, 6x6) as West Indies finished at 173/8.

It all began with Rohit launching an attack against Sheldon Cottrell. The left-arm pacer was hit for two fours and a six in the third over, after Rahul had opened up with two fours off Jason Holder.

There was no stopping Sharma and Rahul, who shook West Indies with their onslaught, crossing 50 inside five overs, and 100 inside eight. The openers went neck-and-neck in ripping apart the bowling. Rahul produced an array of drives and cuts for fours and sixes respectively with Rohit clearing the field with the authority he always displays.

The did not offer the bowlers much, but West Indies still managed to take two wickets and stop the flow of boundaries. Rishabh Pant failed on being promoted to No. 3 after Sharma mis-hit one off pacer Kesrick Williams. West Indies briefly felt they had successfully staged a comeback. But there was more in store.

It would be tough to choose Kohli’s best knock in this series—94* at Hyderabad or 70* in Mumbai. The Hyderabad knock won India the match whereas in Mumbai it helped India set an improbable target, at a time when his side has not had much success doing so.

Kohli walked in only in the 13th over, but had a tired and beaten bowling attack at his disposal. He tore into Holder, hitting him for a six and two fours in the 15th over, and smashed 27 runs off Pollard’s 19th over, clobbering three sixes and one four. He also indulged in his ongoing battle with Williams for a while, flicking the bowler for a massive six.

Lewis produced a sensational effort before suffering the knee injury. Fielding on the midwicket boundary, his one-handed attempt saved a certain six off Rohit in the fifth over. He tumbled over the boundary ropes and the advertisement boards, but realising there was none backing him up, he hopped back, and almost ran out Sharma as he went for a second run.

Lewis was stretchered off the field after he was injured in the 11th over and with his ability to run between the wickets significantly restricted, he was ruled unfit to bat.