World T20: A look at twists and turns in India-WI semifinal match
India lost to West Indies in the ICC World T20 semifinal in Mumbai after surviving close games due to luck and Kohli’s brilliance.
After surviving close games due to luck and Virat Kohli’s brilliance, India ran out of steam against West Indies in the ICC World Twenty20 semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
The star Indian batsman fielded with resolve, even provided the team with a vital breakthrough when they were struggling to control the 97-run fourth wicket partnership between Johnson Charles and Lendl Simmons.
But, a spectacular unbeaten 89 by Kohli was in vain as India went down by seven wickets.
Here are the twists and turns in the match:
That man, Virat
After West Indies squandered two attempts to run him out, Virat resumed his sublime batting. The success of his batting relied on the fact that he didn’t depend on big hits but on good cricketing shots and brilliant running between the wickets. He ran 44% of his runs. An excellent 89 off 47 balls. As if that wasn’t enough, he also chipped in with a wicket off the first ball to break the 97-run partnership between Johnson Charles and Lendl Simmons.
Home favourite
Rohit Sharma had failed throughout the tournament but clicked (43) in front of his home crowd on the best batting surface India have got in the World T20. Together with Ajinkya Rahane (40), he put on 62 runs for the first wicket in 7.2 overs.
Bowling blues
India bowlers failed miserably. Apart from erring in line, they bowled no balls on deliveries that got wickets. The West Indies batsmen regularly hit sixes, tonking 11 of them. Lendl Simmons and Johnson Charles put on 97 for third wicket and Simmons-Andre Russell put on 80 for the unbroken fourth.
WI’s early jitters
India got both Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels early. Gayle, who has played in the V throughout the tournament, surprisingly played across to a Bumrah full toss. West Indies were in early trouble and India thought they had the game.
Lendl’s lives
Simmons, two times lucky to be caught off no balls, walked away with the man of the match award for his unbeaten 82 off 51 balls.
Simmons had to pull out of the West Indies squad before the tournament began because of an injury and only arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday as a replacement for Andre Fletcher.
Read | World T20: Simmons storm knocks India out, Kohli heroics in vain
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