West Indies put on an all-round batting performance to post 195/4 in 20 overs with everyone contributing really well to the scoreboard led by Roston Chase. Rovman Powell and Jason Holder finished things off nicely. India bowled well in patches and the catching was pathetic to say the least. India up against it at this stage of the chase if we look at it now.
West Indies gets off to a solid start in powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, Shai Hope the captain opened the batting with Roston Chase while Arshdeep Singh had ball in hand for India. Arshdeep bowled a tight first over. Hardik Pandya came onto bowl from the other end. Hope took the attack to Pandya and picked up the length to pull it over midwicket for the maximum. Hope then showed touchness as he made room and drove it on the up between cover and cover point for a boundary. Arshdeep continued and a mix-up between the two batters should have ensured a run out, but the throw was wayward and Chase survived.
Chase took the attack to Arshdeep with a lofted straight drive over the bowler’s head for a boundary and then drive between covers and extra covers for a boundary. Axar Patel came into the attack next and Hope welcomed him with an open bat face through backward point region for a boundary. Chase got physio to work on his knee and that caused a delay in play.
Jasprit Bumrah came into the attack next. Chase shuffled across and scooped it over the keeper for a boundary. Then when the score was 33 and Chase on 14, in the 5th ball of the fifth over, Abhishek Sharma dropped a sitter as Chase got a reprieve. Axar Patel came and bowled the 6th over of the innings. Hope got a full toss and spanked it away through point for a boundary. Chase swept away behind square for another boundary. At the completion of 6 overs, West Indies were decently placed at 45/0 with Hope unbeaten on 25 off 25 balls and Chase unbeaten on 20 off 11 balls. Drinks was taken as well at this stage.
India hit back with wickets in the middle phase to come back in the contest.Â
Hardik Pandya came back into the attack post the Drinks Break as Chase smacked him away over midwicket for the maximum as the 50 came up for West Indies in 6.5 overs. Axar came back into the attack as Chase reverse swept the ball to beat short third man for a boundary. West Indies were milking the Indians now. Varun Chakravarthy came into the attack next. He provided India the much-needed breakthrough as he removed the captain Hope for 32 off 33 balls with 3 fours and one six to his name by clean bowling the batter.
Shimron Hetmyer came out to bat next and got off the mark. Hardik came back to bowl the 10th over. Hetmyer took him on and whacked it away over midwicket flat and hard for the maximum. Hardik was bowling wides for fun and the over was never ending as West Indies were 82/1 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game. Varun continued as Hetmyer took him on and smashed the pull over midwicket for the maximum. Hetmyer waited on the back foot and smashed it to deep cover for a boundary.
Bumrah continued as the 100 came up for West indies in 11.1 overs. Bumrah then struck for India as he removed Hetmyer for 27 off 12 balls with one four and two sixes to his name as he nicked it to the keeper and wasted a review as well did Hetmyer. Sherfane Rutherford came out to back next. Bumrah managed to get another as he got two wickets in the over as he dismissed Chase for 40 off 25 balls with 5 fours and one six to his name as Bumrah had two in the over. Rovman Powell came out to bat next.
Axar continued as Rutherford pulled it away over deep midwicket for the maximum as Tilak was way inside the boundary and went over him for the maximum. Axar came back towards the end. Varun came back into the attack and Rovman Powell got lucky as umpire’s call on LBW saved the batter. Varun bowled a good over as West Indies were 119/3 in 14 overs when we paused for the second Drinks Break of the innings.
Hardik Pandya came back to bowl after the break as Rutherford didn’t move his feet and tried to guide it down to third man and got the outside edge to the keeper as the batter fell for 14 off 9 balls with one six to his name. Jason Holder came out to bat next. After playing a few dot balls, Holder went big and and straight down the ground over the bowler’s head for the maximum. West Indies were 125/4 in 15 overs with Holder unbeaten on 6 off 5 balls and Powell unbeaten on 3 off 6 balls. Big 5 overs lay ahead of us.
Late order flourish from Jason Holder and Rovman Powell powers West Indies to 195/4.Â
Arshdeep Singh returned to the attack next. Arshdeep gave away 5 wides to the batting side. Powell smashed it away over deep midwicket for the maximum. Another wide happened as Powell again flicked it away over backward square leg for the maximum. Powell slashed it away past backward point for a boundary. Varun came back into the attack as the 150 came up for West Indies in 16.1 overs. Holder went high and handsome over long-on for the maximum. Holder slammed Varun for a boundary.
Bumrah came back into the attack as Holder slapped it away between square leg and midwicket for another boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Powell clipped it away past the short fine leg fielder for a boundary. Arshdeep came to bowl the 19th over as Abhishek dropped the catch in 18.3 overs when the score was 176 and Powell was batting on 27 at that stage. Arshdeep bowled a quiet over in the end.
Bumrah came to bowl the last over of the innings. Holder smashed Bumrah over midwicket for the maximum. Powell then whipped it away by flicking it past long-on for a boundary. West Indies finished with a daunting 195/4 in 20 overs. Powell was unbeaten on 34 off 19 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to his name while Jason Holder was unbeaten on 37 off 22 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes to his name. 11 extras given by the fielding side.
India had a mixed day with the ball and in the field. Jasprit Bumrah finished with 2/36 in 4 overs. Hardik Pandya went for 40 runs and finished with 1/40 in 4 overs. Varun Chakaravarthy finished with 1/40 in 4 overs. Arshdeep Singh went for 43 runs in 4 overs. Axar Patel finished with 0/35 in 4 overs. India have a daunting 196 to win to qualify for the semi-finals.
Who’s Winning, India or West Indies?Â
West Indies have a daunting score on the board. It’s a knockout game and 196 target is a lot of runs. West Indies have three spinners and will rattle India. Advantage West Indies for now for sure. India up against it at this stage. Can the Men in Blue pull a rabbit out of the hat? Only time will tell.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: West Indies Gets Off To A Solid Start In Big Game