INDIA COMPLETE THE WHITEWASH
West Indies could have taken it to the super over but failed to collect the ball and dislodge the bails in the last ball of the match. Terrific over by Allen and the pressure mounted after Dhawan departed for 92. Manish Pandey, who looked all at sea from the time he walked in, hits the winning run,
IND 175/3 in 18.2 Overs
Pant tries to be cheeky again but sees his middle-stump uprooted by Paul. The 21-year-old’s thrilling 58, though, has put India within touching distance of a win.
R Pant b Paul 58 (38)
IND 174/2 in 18 Overs - Dhawan 88, Pant 58
India need just eight runs from the last two overs to complete the whitewash. Pant and Dhawan continue to make the stiff chase look easy. In the last few overs, it has been Dhawan who upped the ante.
IND 153/2 in 16 Overs - Dhawan 76, Pant 52
Unless the Windies get a couple of quick wickets, India is running away with the contest. Pant has reached his fifty – he got there with an outrageous paddle stroke of Paul. Dhawan continues to get the odd boundary to ease the pressure. Just 29 needed from 24 now. The partnership is worth 108 from 68.
IND 120/2 in 13 Overs - Dhawan 58, Pant 38
Pant now smashes a one-handed six off Pollard. Another big over for India, who need 62 from 42 balls. West Indies are trying to deceive India with slower deliveries but nothing seems to be working for them. It’s raining boundaries at Chepauk.
IND 101/2 in 12 Overs - Dhawan 52, Pant 27
Dhawan and and the match is slowly slipping away from West Indies’ grasp and the runs coming thick and fast for India. Brathwaite tinkers with the field but the two left-handers are able to pierce the gaps at will.
IND 76/2 in 10 Overs - Dhawan 35, Pant 18
The Dhawan show has taken a backseat and it is Pant who is tonking the ball all over the park. Brilliant bit of improvisation against Pollard keeps India on track. Two boundaries from the over.
IND 60/2 in 8 Overs - Dhawan 33, Pant 5
The last three overs have yielded only 17 runs with the loss of KL Rahul’s wicket. West Indies hold the edge as 122 from 72 balls.
IND 43/1 in 5.2 Overs - KL Rahul c Ramdin b Thomas 17 (10)
Another breakthrough for Thomas. Lovely shape on the delivery after pitching it on off and Rahul nicks it to keeper Ramdin. Just the wicket West Indies needed.
IND 43/1 in 5 Overs - Dhawan 23, Rahul 17
Dhawan has flown off the blocks after the fall of Rohit’s dismissal. Rahul is also looking fluent as West Indies are looking ragged with the ball after getting the wicket they needed. They need a breakthrough quickly.
OUT! Rohit Sharma c Brathwaite b Paul 4 (6), IND 13/1 in 2.2 Overs
Big wicket for the Windies. Rohit tried to hammer an over-pitched delivery over the top and doesn’t get the elevation on it. Brathwaite takes a simple catch at mid-off.
IND 13/0 in 2 overs (Rohit 4*, Dhawan 9*)
Dhawan gets two boundaries of Thomas’ over. One comes off the toe end of the bat, but he does enough to clear the infield.
IND 5/0 in 1 over (Rohit 4*, Dhawan 5*)
Windies begin with Pierre’s spin. Rohit gets the chase going with a boundary in the first over.
WI 181/3 after 20 overs - Bravo 43, Pooran 53
West Indies finish at a competitive 181/3 after opting to bat first. Bravo hammers a full-toss over the deep mid-wicket fence for a six off Khaleel and then follows up with a couple of boundaries. Bravo and Pooran were outstanding in the final overs. The Indian bowlers were clobbered for 63 from from the last five. India have a fight on their hands.
WI 149/3 after 18 overs - Bravo 34, Pooran 32
Khaleel comes back into the attack and varies his line and length to good effect. Couple of yorkers and a low full toss mixed up with a slower ball, means just four runs came from that over. Good stuff by the youngster.
WI 145/3 after 17 overs - Bravo 31, Pooran 31
Switch hit by Pooran and it sails over point (square leg?)... Chahal loses his rhythm and bowls a couple of wides after that. Another good over for the Windies.
Meanwhile, Manjrekar and Murali Kartik (rightly) bring up the point why this is still allowed when a bowler cannot do a twirl in the run-up. Agree?
WI 132/3 after 16 overs - Bravo 30, Pooran 21
SIXES! Pooran takes on Bhuvi and smashes two straight sixes. 31 runs off the last two overs! Bhuvi’s going for runs again. This is a brilliant phase for Windies.
WI 117/3 after 15 overs - Bravo 29, Pooran 7
BIG OVER! Bravo with a four and a six. The momentum is back with Windies? 16 runs conceded by Krunal Pandya! Starts off with a couple of wides down the off side bowling from around the wicket. Sticks to the line as Bravo starts to read him well, the six smashed over wide long off.
It’s been a struggle for Krunal tonight, finishes with 0/40 in his 4 overs.
WI 101/3 after 14 overs - Bravo 16, Pooran 6
A good over by Bhuvi (filled with offcutters, given the pitch’s nature) spoiled by a boundary off the last ball. Pooran made use of a ball at full pace and guided it through point. 100 comes up for the Windies with 6 overs to go. 160 would be an excellent score on this pitch, you’d think.
WI 95/3 after 13 overs - Bravo 15, Pooran 1 - Sundar strikes!
WICKET! Couple of deliveries after hitting a massive six (dancing down the track and smacking over midwicket), Ramdin chops one on to the stumps. Tries to play the cut against the turn. Daft shot after already 10 runs came off the over. Washington Sundar gets a wicket in his final over, finishes with figures of 33/1 after 4 overs.
There’s definite turn on offer on this pitch., by the way.
WI 84/2 after 12 overs - Bravo 14, Ramdin 9
DROPPED! Ramdin chips one back to Krunal Pandya who cannot time his jump properly enough — must say, that was a fairly simple chance. The ball is once again in the air off the next ball but away from Rohit Sharma. The ball definitely sticking on the surface.
WI 78/2 after 10 overs - Bravo 12, Ramdin 6
11 runs from the 11th over. A brilliant shot by Bravo down the ground (shades of the Lara flair there!) Chahal then gets one to turn sharply and beat the batsman as well as ‘keeper off the last ball. Terrific delivery, almost took the bails off the middle stump after landing well outside off.
WI 67/2 after 10 overs - Bravo 7, Ramdin 4
Krunal Pandya brought back into the attack after an expensive first over, concedes 5 runs. Windies need a partnership here. More signs of the pitch being two-paced.
Just 16 runs in the last overs, India have the momentum back.
WI 62/2 after 9 overs - Chahal strikes again!
WICKET! Hetmyer now... and just like that Windies have thrown away a good start. Chahal has a smile on his face. Two early wickets on his comeback to the playing XI! Hetmyer cuts one uppishly, the timing is not there and Pandya takes a safe catch at deep point.
WI 59/1 after 8 overs
Sundar comes back and gives away just three runs in the over, finding his rhythm once again. Almost has a wicket off the last ball as Bravo chips one but it falls just short of the bowler. Signs of a two-paced pitch.
WI 56/1 after 7 overs - Chahal strikes!
Out of action for a couple of games, Chahal strikes with his very first delivery. Shai Hope goes for a big hoick, Washington Sundar takes a sharp high catch at midwicket. That went many a mile.
Hope out for 22-ball 24 and Bravo walks in.
WI 51/0 after 6 overs
BIG OVER AGAIN! Krunal Pandya concedes two sixes off his first over and the 50 comes up for WI in the powerplay. Shai Hope is in the mood... a big hit over midwicket to welcome Krunal Pandya into the attack. Almost made it two sixes in a row but outstanding effort from Dhawan at the boundary saves five runs for his side!
Hope finishes the over with a six down the ground, the ball just about landing on the rope.
WI 38/0 after 5 overs
Bhuvi comes into the attack and Hope scores a couple of boundaries. Momentum with Windies at Chepauk.
After 4 overs, Windies 29/0
BIG OVER FOR WINDIES! Couple of brutal hits by Hetmyer off Sundar followed by a wide delivery that rolls to the boundary line. 14 runs off it. Sundar looks unhappy. A momentum shift here.
After 3 overs, West Indies 15/0
West Indies get a move along, 9 runs in the third over. A boundary each for Hope and Hetmyer off Khaleel. Hope lofts one over point while Hetmyer makes the most of a ball on his pads, lifting it over short fine leg. Khaleel got one to seam away from Hope as well in that over.
Sundar to continue.
After 2 overs, West Indies 6/0
Good over from Washington Sundar too, playing at his home ground. Hetmyer hits a boundary through square leg but just 5 runs overall. Starts off by pushing the ball quickly through the air for the first balls, and slows it up once he got into the rhythm.
After 1 over, West Indies 1/0
Top start from Khaleel Ahmed. Four dot balls to Shai Hope to start off. Hetmyer, opening the batting today, plays out a dot ball too. Just one run from the first over. There is a hint of low bounce, and no sign of movement yet.
Washington Sundar from the other end.
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Washington Sundar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal
West Indies: Hope, Hetmyer, Bravo, Ramdin, Pooran, Pollard, Brathwaite, Allen, Paul, Pierre, Thomas
“We were looking to bowl first,” says Rohit Sharma. Chahal and Washington Sundar replace Kuldeep and Bumrah in India’s playing XI.
Toss: Windies win toss and elect to bat first. “We want to get a total we can defend,” says skipper Carlos Brathwaite. “We have a lot of pride to play for and make the people back home proud of supporting us.”
With the series already sealed, India might test its bench strength and aim for a clean sweep, while the battered and bruised West Indies would be hoping for a face saving victory and sign off their disastrous tour on a fine note, as the two teams lock horns in the third and final T-20 International at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
With the selectors resting key bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav keeping in mind the tough tour of Australia, the match would provide a chance for the other players like local lad and offie Washington Sundar, Shreyas Iyer, uncapped Shahbaz Nadeem and medium pacer Siddarth Kaul, drafted into the side for the final match, to make a mark.