West Indies crashed to yet another defeat in T20Is. While West Indies lost all 5 games to Australia in the Caribbean, this time a change of venue also did not bring any change of luck as they crashed to a 14-run loss to Pakistan in Florida. The hosts for a change won the toss decided to chase on a ground where teams batting first have won more. But despite all the efforts, they fell short and some key reasons why they lost the plot is listed below.
Slow batting by the openers for first 10 overs pegs West Indies back.
West Indies had a new look opening pair starting proceedings for them as Johnson Charles and Jewel Andrew on debut opened the batting for the hosts. While Brandon King was injured, Shai Hope went down the order and batted at 3. In a chase of 179, it is important for the openers to lay a solid foundation and start well. Keeping wickets in hand is also important which West Indies did but they let the required rate climb up.
The West Indies were decent in the powerplay scoring 47 runs but slowed down post that as they mustered only 63 runs in the first 10 overs. That meant the required rate climbed up over 11 an over as they needed 116 off the last 60 balls. This meant that for the new batters to come in, they would not have time to settle down and start going for the big hits straightaway. It meant that West Indies lost wickets in clusters and lost the plot in chasing the target down.
Getting a solid start is great, but accelerating at the right time is important. West Indies failed to accelerate and allowed the required rate to climb up. Once the wickets started to fall, it fell quickly. West Indies need to look at this issue and fix this as soon as possible because it’s all about pacing the innings well. They had a chance to win but they blew that opportunity.
Instable batting order creates disarray in the West Indies camp.
With Brandon King out injured, we knew that there will be a change in batting order. But so much change was not expected. Firstly, Shai Hope who did well at the top dropped himself down the order eventually coming to bat at 3. They allowed debutant Jewel Andrew and Johnson Charles to open the batting and while the duo did well, they allowed the required rate to climb up. Even Hope at 3 was fair enough. But what followed thereafter was bizarre.
Gudakesh Motie all of a sudden was promoted to Number 4 and that move backfired big time as he went for a golden duck. Sherfane Rutherford came in next and then Roston Chase came in at 6 in this game. At least he bowled 3 overs in this game and batted at 6 but did not contribute much. Romario Shepherd came in next at 7 as Rovman Powell was sitting out due to injury. So, many changes confused everyone.
This is what happens when a team is continuously losing. They start changing things up and make bizarre moves. West Indies needs to make sure they have a proper batting order and role clarity also needs to be defined. Certain players are batting out of positions and West Indies needs to sort this out as quickly as possible to come back to winning ways.
Inability to play Mohammad Nawaz and other spinners hurts West Indies badly.
West Indies’ inability to play spin is well-documented and it was evident in Florida as well. After starting slowly in the chase, West Indies reached 72 in 11 overs. The turning point happened over here with Mohammad Nawaz spinning a web and getting rid of three players in an over. He got rid of Jewel Andrew, Johnson Charles, and Gudakesh Motie in the same over. This really hurt Pakistan and then Hope was prized out by Saim Ayub. Ayub also added Rutherford to the kitty before Sufiyan Muqeem got a wicket to his name as well.
West Indies lost 6 wickets to spinners out of the 7 that fell with Shaheen Afridi getting the lone wicket to pace. Out of them, one of them Saim Ayub with all due respect is a part-time bowler. Yes, credit to Pakistan for bowling well, keeping it tight and getting the win for their side. But West Indies playing spin bowling has been an issue and needs to sort this out as soon as possible because the next T20 World Cup is in the sub-continent.
Going forward in this series and beyond, West Indies needs to find way to play spin bowling better failing which they will continue to struggle to win games. It’s an area that they seriously need to wok on going forward not only in this series but the bigger picture that is ahead of them which is the big ICC event.
What Lies Ahead.
West Indies and Pakistan will next face on 3rd August i.e. Sunday in Florida for the second T20I with Pakistan leading the series 1-0. The hosts will aim to bounce back and level the series to force a decider while Pakistan will look to seal the series once and for all on Sunday.
Will West Indies fight back? Or will Pakistan continue their dominance with renewed confidence and self-belief with them. Find out soon as the second game takes place in a few days time.
Also Read: WI vs PAK: Struggling West Indies Lock Horns Against Bruised Pakistan