India Buries West Indies Under An Avalanche Of Sixes

Rahul, Rohit and Kohli put the visitors’ attack to the sword, hitting 16 maximums, as the Men in Blue overpower Pollard’s men to clinch series 2-1

- Amol Karhadkar

Quickfire start? Tick. Power hitting problem? Tick. Setting a target? Tick.

India’s star-studded batting line-up couldn’t have asked for a better venue and a more important situation — the series-decider against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium — to overcome the recent shortcomings that have jeopardised it in the T20 format.

No wonder then that a gargantuan total of 240 for three — with Rohit Sharma and K.L. Rahul laying the foundation in the first half and a vociferous captain Virat Kohli going ballistic at the death proved too much for the West Indies.

While the Windies batsmen — opener Evin Lewis was unable to bat after being stretchered off the field after hurting his leg in the field — crumbled under pressure, India’s rejigged bowling combination of Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav, who came in for Ravindra Jadeja and Yuzvendra Chahal, stuck to its task and completed a convincing 67-run win.

The bowlers owed the victory to the big three of India’s batting. Ten of the 20 overs in India’s innings saw at least 10 runs being scored while three of them fetched 20plus. The trio scored all of India’s runs that came off the bat, plundering 19 fours and 16 sixes to rattle the West Indian bowlers

Making merry

Rohit had a field day in his hometown while Rahul was at his wristy best after Kieron Pollard inserted India for the second consecutive match. But Kohli’s finishing touch was even better than the duo’s exploits in the first half of the innings.