West Indies Stun India in Fourth T20I to Level Series at 2-2
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Hope, Paul Power Windies to 24-Run Victory in Hyderabad
The West Indies drew level in the five-match series with India at 2-2, confirming our cricket predictions by claiming an impressive 24-run victory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday evening.
After being asked to bat first, the Windies amassed an imposing 247/3 and then kept India at bay, restricting the hosts to 223 despite a determined effort to chase down the target.
The Caribbean side got off to an excellent start, with Shai Hope and Jewel Andrew putting on a 52-run first-wicket stand inside the first five overs before the latter was dismissed lbw by Axar Patel.
Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell provided a couple of solid knocks at three and four, but it was Hope who played the starring role, finishing on 102 not out off just 50 deliveries, including four 4s and nine 6s. Sherfane Rutherford smashed 49 off 26 balls.
Sanju Samson gave India a blistering start with 56 off 23 balls, including six 4s and four 6s. The wicketkeeper-batsman reached his half-century in just 20 deliveries, sharing an opening stand of 60 with Abhishek Sharma, who added 29 off 24 balls, including three 4s and a six.
However, the West Indies made a strong comeback, claiming a few quick wickets to leave the Men in Blue at 130/5. Keemo Paul was the star with the ball for the visitors, taking five wickets for 41 runs in his four-over allotment.
India’s Bowling Under Fire as Iyer Defends Batting Approach Before Series Decider
India captain Shreyas Iyer defended his side’s batting approach but conceded that their failure to execute the right line and length with the ball was a major factor in their T20I defeat to West Indies on Wednesday. Speaking to the media after the match, Iyer said:
“Yeah, it all started with bowling. I think we didn't execute our line and length well, and at the end of the day, chasing 250, you have to go in a certain pattern when you're coming in chasing. So I like the approach when we were chasing, but we were unfortunate we couldn't execute our plans in bowling, and that's where we fell a bit short.”
Iyer dismissed the idea that Abhishek Sharma’s lack of time at the crease early on had affected his start, pointing instead to the accuracy of the West Indies bowlers and the help they received from the surface.
The skipper also acknowledged that the surface had offered assistance to the bowling attack, with the ball holding up at times and generating uneven bounce in the middle overs. The series now hangs in the balance heading into the decider at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
