August 3, 2023, Los Angeles, CA. By Dennis Heath
Two quick wickets in 3 balls with the West Indies score on 30 runs, stirred echoes of past West Indies humiliation in white ball cricket. In fact, the ink on the epitaph tablet is still wet from describing the destruction, decimation, and death of West Indies in the ODI version of white ball cricket, less than 4 weeks ago (ODI Qualifier series in Zimbabwe).
Team West Indies briefly resurrected, they performed with a shot of adrenaline and overpowered India in the second of 3 ODIs. West Indies won by 6 wickets. However, normality and reality came back to haunt the West Indies in their 200 runs destructive loss to India in the third match of this ODI series.
Resurgence? Two days later, and no doubt, enhanced with two double shots of adrenaline, team West Indies struggled to life again in the first of the 5 match T20 International Series against India. India being the same international team that the West Indies last defeated in a T20 match about 5 years ago. In this match, West Indies elected to bat first, and with Brandon King’s departure having scored 28 runs, West Indies were 30 runs for the loss of 2 wickets. The in-form Nicholas Pooran (41 runs) took charge and with the assistance of Captain Rovman Powell (48 runs), West Indies rallied to complete the 20 overs with 149 runs for the loss of 6 wickets.
When India batted, newcomer Tilak Varma earned his stripes with an innings high total of 39 runs. Varma was assisted by Sury Yadav (21runs), and captain Pandya (19 runs). The other Indian batters did not perform. Overall, Indian bowlers performed as expected. Not so the fielders. Rovman Powell had 3 dropped chances. Surprisingly, for the West Indies. Their bowlers and fielders were on top of their game. Two Indian batters were run out and the West Indies bowlers demonstrated accuracy.
West Indies won by the slightest of margins, 4 runs. Match 2 of the series is due on August 6. But where West Indies are concerned this betting man is keeping his wallet firmly out of sight.
