When India posted 249 runs on the board in the second T20I, not many would have given the West Indies a chance to chase the total down in Ranchi. Add to the whole thing that they had lost two wickets in the opening over, bowled by Mayank Yadav, nothing could have been more unfathomable. However, the Windies did the unthinkable thereafter and pulled off their highest successful run-chase in T20Is, gunning the target down with nine balls to spare. The task was made all the more difficult for the Indian attack by heavy dew on the outfield, and the spinners never got into the game, struggling to grip the ball.
Axar Patel (0/63 in 3.3 overs) and Kuldeep Yadav (1/53 in 4 overs) were expected to be India's trump card in their defence of 249, but Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford took them to the cleaners and snatched the game away from the hosts. After the defeat, skipper Shreyas Iyer shied away from heavy criticism of his bowlers, highlighting the “dew factor” and how no total was safe enough as there was no margin for error.
“Honestly speaking, you cannot put a number to it [when asked what total is enough these days], because when the dew factor comes in, it plays a massive role. And even 249 was chased with two overs to spare. So you cannot give a number, or probably anticipate that, okay, this is the number we would be trying to score,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.
{{/usCountry}}“Honestly speaking, you cannot put a number to it [when asked what total is enough these days], because when the dew factor comes in, it plays a massive role. And even 249 was chased with two overs to spare. So you cannot give a number, or probably anticipate that, okay, this is the number we would be trying to score,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.
{{/usCountry}}"The margin for error on this wicket is very minor, and any delivery if you miss to execute it, it was going into the stands, and you could see how exceptional they were batting," he added.
For the Men in Blue, only Mayank gave a good account of himself in the Ranchi T20I, scalping three wickets. All three dismissals were down to his raw pace as the deliveries rushed onto Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell.
Iyer was full of praise for Mayank, who, on the tour of Zimbabwe in July, had made a comeback into the Indian squad after a long injury layoff. “Those three crucial wickets, it was something that stabilised the rhythm for us up ahead, but then after that, the partnership came in, and the momentum shifted towards them,” said Iyer.
The Hope and Rutherford partnership
The two seasoned pros -- Hope and Rutherford -- put on a stand of 120 runs for the fourth wicket after the Windies lost three wickets inside the powerplay, and not once did they look flustered and overawed by the daunting target in front of them. The duo kept smashing Axar and Kuldeep for 6s, not letting any sort of pressure mount.
Rutherford got out for 84, but Hope went on with his carnage, hitting an unbeaten 102 to take his side over the line. Romario Shephard also played a good hand, smashing 34* off 13 balls. Earlier, after winning the toss, the West Indies opted to field. Sanju Samson silenced his critics with a fine 82 and helped the hosts post a solid 249/5, which eventually proved to be not sufficient.