West Indies Claim T20 Series Victory Over India After Brandon King's Unbeaten 85 in Lauderhill
Key Highlights :
The West Indies cricket team achieved a morale-boosting victory on Sunday, securing a 3-2 series win over India in the T20 series held in Lauderhill, Florida. The deciding fifth match saw Brandon King's superb unbeaten 85 lead the West Indies to an eight-wicket win, with two overs to spare.
Set a target of 166 to win, the West Indies reached it with Nicholas Pooran scoring 47 in a partnership of 107 with King. The win was a much-needed boost for West Indies cricket after the one-day team failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in their history last month.
West Indies captain Rovman Powell was understandably pleased with the outcome. “Adjectives are inadequate for our feelings. It’s a big series. It’s a very big series for us to beat India at home with everything going on,” he said.
King's highest T20 international score came from 55 balls with six sixes and five fours and he kept his focus despite a delay to the game following a lightning warning. Shai Hope, who steadied the ship after Pooran was removed by Tilak Varma, with the spinners second ever ball in international cricket, clinched the victory with a straight six off Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Suryakumar Yadav struck 61 as India made 165 for nine while Romario Shepherd took 4-31 in his four overs as West Indies’ bowling attack delivered a much better performance than in their emphatic defeat on Saturday which left the five-match series at 2-2.
West Indies made two changes with off-spinner Roston Chase and pace bowler Alzarri Joseph coming in for Odean Smith and Obed McCoy and there was a better balance and performance from that line-up. Opening pair Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who put on a match-winning 165 run partnership on Saturday, were both dismissed cheaply by left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein. Tilak Varma looked dangerous before he went for 27 off 18, caiught and bowled by Chase but Yadav’s innings kept India’s hopes alive. Medium pacer Shepherd took care of the lower middle order as West Indies were set a target of 166 to win the series.
India captain Hardik Pandya said they had time to get things right before the T20 World Cup next June in the Caribbean and the United States. “It’s a long way. We have the ODI WC coming up and sometimes losing is good. You get to learn a lot,” Pandya said. “And special mention for all the boys. They showed great character. Winning and losing is a part of the process and we are going to make sure we learn from that,” he said.
Sunday's victory is sure to be a huge boost for the West Indies cricket team, who will be hoping to carry the momentum into the upcoming T20 World Cup. Brandon King's superb unbeaten 85 was the cornerstone of the West Indies' eight-wicket win over India in Lauderhill, Florida, and will live long in the memory of cricket fans around the world.
