Sanju Samson stood up when it really mattered the most as his swashbuckling 82 runs off 41 balls set up a power-packed Indian batting performance on a flat track in Ranchi. Sanju Samson was the star as he set it up while captain Shreyas Iyer and vice-captain Tilak Varma finished the innings really well. Roston Chase was the star with 3 wickets for the West Indies, while the others went the distance and now have to bat out of their skins to win this.
Sanju Samson’s quickfire half-century gives India a blazing start in the powerplay
Put into bat first, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson came out to open the batting for India while Akeal Hosein had the ball in hand for the West Indies. Abhishek made his intentions clear as he made room and went inside out over deep extra cover for the maximum. Romario Shepherd shared the new ball from the other end. Abhishek stayed leg side and got on top of the bounce to punch it through covers for a boundary. Abhishek then lofted the bowler down the ground for a boundary.
Hosein continued as Samson got the outside edge, a big one at that, as the ball flew between the keeper and short third man for a boundary. Samson was given a lifeline while batting on 6* as Kamil Pooran put this catch down. The score was 25 in the 3rd over. Hosein overstepped the next ball, and the free hit was deposited down the ground over long-on for the maximum. Roston Chase came into the attack next as Samson welcomed him as he got underneath it and launched it over wide mid-off for a boundary.
Chase provided the breakthrough for the West Indies as he removed Abhishek for 20 off 12 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name as Motie took a good catch at mid-on. Ishan Kishan came out to bat next. Hosein continued as Samson went inside out with a lofted drive over covers for a boundary. Samson then went inside out over deep extra cover for the maximum. Samson was in the mood as he went leg side and clubbed it over long-on for the maximum. He then cleared his front leg to hit it past backward square leg for a boundary.
Romario Shepherd came back into the attack to bowl the last over of the powerplay. Ishan thrashed the ball to get it over cover point for a boundary. Samson got another life as Motie dropped him after diving to his right. Samson then pounced on the ball as he whipped it past midwicket for a boundary and then crunched the ball through extra cover for a boundary as the 50 came up for Samson in 21 balls, his 9th T20I fifty.
At the end of the power play, India were racing away at 79/1 in 6 overs with Samson unbeaten on 52 off 21 balls and Ishan Kishan unbeaten on 6 off 4 balls. We now entered the middle phase of the game.
Sanju Samson’s swashbuckling innings drives India forward, but West Indies hit back with a few wickets in the middle overs
Gudakesh Motie came into the attack post the power play. Ishan took tole of the full toss and whacked it over square leg for the maximum. Roston Chase came back into the attack as Ishan thumped him behind square for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the duo. Motie continued as Samson opened his shoulders and tonked it over midwicket for the maximum. The 100 came up in 8.1 overs for India. Samson hammered it away over covers for a boundary.
Shamar Joseph came into the attack for the first time this evening. Samson whipped the ball past short fine leg for a boundary. Ishan then took on Shamar and flicked it behind square leg for the maximum. Then the batter got the full toss as Ishan whipped it away with a flick over square leg for a boundary. West Indies wasted a review on Ishan as the ball did not hit the bat. Ishan then pummelled the ball with a pull through square leg for a boundary. 20 off the 10th over.
India were 127/1 in 10 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break at the halfway stage of the game. Shamar Springer came on to bowl after the break as Ishan lunged forward to drive it between mid-off and extra covers for a boundary. Ishan got the second boundary of the over as he got the top edge over the keeper’s head for a boundary. Chase returned to the attack as Ishan was cleaned up for 43 off 22 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes to his name as Chase got his second scalp. Shivam Dube was sent up the order next. Chase completed a brilliant over.
Shepherd continued and bowled a hat-trick of wides. Then Samson hopped a bit to ride the bounce and uppercut the ball past third man for a boundary. The 150 came up for India in 12.2 overs. Shepherd bowled a long over. Roston Chase continued as Dube thrashed it away as he cleared his front leg and dragged it to the left of long-on for a boundary. Chase then got another as he dismissed Dube for 7 off 10 balls with a boundary to his name by knocking him over. Captain Shreyas Iyer came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Shamar Springer came to bowl the 15th over of the innings. He dismissed Samson for a well-made 82 off 41 balls with 9 fours and 4 sixes to his name as the batter looked to slash it over deep backward point but got the height and not the distance as the catch was taken by Kamil Pooran. Tilak Varma came out to bat next as he got off the mark with a boundary straightaway as the batter drilled it hard through mid-off for a boundary.
At the end of 15 overs, India were 169/4 with Shreyas unbeaten on 3 off 3 balls and Tilak unbeaten on 7 off 3 balls. We entered the final phase, i.e. the death overs phase of the game.
Shreyas Iyer & Tilak Varma’s blazing finish powers India to 249/5 in 20 overs
Shamar Joseph came back into the attack to bowl the 16th over. Shreyas walloped the ball over Springer at mid-off for a boundary. Shepherd came back into the attack as Shreyas sliced it away over backward point for the maximum. Shepherd got injured and walked off the field. Shreyas then pummelled Rovman Powell over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Shamar Springer returned as Iyer moved a step across and sent the ball over midwicket for the maximum as the 200 came up for India in 17.1 overs.
Tilak joined in the fun as he went downtown for a boundary. Tilak got to 5000 T20 runs as well. Then Tilak shuffled across and slashed it over backward point for a boundary. Springer bowled a high full toss and the free hit yielded a dot ball. Shreyas then opened the face of the bat and squirted it through backward point for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up off 22 balls.
Shamar Joseph came to bowl the 19th over as Shreyas stood tall and helped it on its way with a ramp over deep third man for a boundary. West Indies wasted a DRS against Shreyas and they were down to 0 reviews now. Shamar did some damage control there. Shamar Springer had to bowl the final over of the innings as West Indies were penalised for a slow over rate.
Springer came to bowl the final over of the innings as Tilak took him apart as he thumped it over wide long-off for the maximum. Then he went straight down the ground over long-off for the maximum. Tilak made it 3 sixes in a row as he went over midwicket and cleared the ground for the maximum. Springer got something to cheer about next as he dismissed Shreyas for 40 off 18 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name. Naman Dhir came out to bat next for the final ball of the innings, and he got it away with a boundary.
Tilak remained unbeaten on 44 off 18 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name alongside Naman Dhir’s unbeaten 4 off 1 ball. 9 extras were given by the West Indies team as India finished with 249/5 in 20 overs.
For the West Indies, Roston Chase was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/24 in 4 overs. Shamar Springer finished with 2/64 in 4 overs. Akeal Hosein finished with 0/46 in 3 overs. Romario Shepherd finished with 0/47 in 3.4 overs. Gudakesh Motie finished with 0/21 in 2 overs. Shamar Joseph finished with 0/39 in 3 overs. Rovman Powell finished with 0/7 in 2 balls. This means the target for West Indies was 250 runs in 20 overs to level the series 1-1.
Who’s Winning, India or West Indies?Â
India have got the runs on the board. 249 is a lot of runs on a belter of a track. The dew will have West Indies for sure, but the visitors will have to bat out of their skins to win this. If West Indies come close, we will be in a thriller of a contest. India have done their bit with the bat. The conditions will be difficult to defend for the bowlers. Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here.
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