West Indies pulled off their highest successful chase in T20Is to beat India by six wickets at the JSCA International Stadium, Ranchi on Friday (October 9).
Invited to bat first, the hosts posted a massive total of 249/5, powered by Sanju Samson's blistering 82 off 41 balls and quickfire forties from Tilak Varma (44* off 18), Ishan Kishan (43 off 22) and Shreyas Iyer (40 off 18).
In reply, West Indies captain Shai Hope slammed a 45-ball century, and Sherfane Rutherford smashed an explosive 84 off 37 balls, allowing the visitors to comfortably overhaul the target with 9 deliveries to spare.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, India skipper Shreyas highlighted that heavy evening dew completely changed the conditions, eliminating the concept of a safe or par score.
He defended his bowling unit, citing that the flat track left virtually zero margin for error and any delivery that missed its mark was sent straight into the stands.
“[How much is enough?] Honestly speaking, you cannot put a number to it, because when the dew factor comes in, it plays a massive role. And even 249 was chased in, like, with two overs to spare. So you cannot give a number, or probably anticipate that, okay, this is the number we would be trying to score,” Iyer said.
“[Were you searching for another bowler?] The margin for error on this wicket is very minor, and any delivery if you miss to execute it, it was going onto the stands, and you could see how exceptional they were batting. So, a few missed chances here and there, but that's part and parcel of the game. But credit where it's due, they batted amazing, and yeah, kudos to them,” he added.
Iyer commended Samson and Abhishek for setting a quick pace early on. He also credited fast bowler Mayank Yadav, who initially tore through the West Indies top order with a fiery 3/36 spell—taking three crucial wickets in the powerplay to briefly stabilize India before the Hope-Rutherford partnership took over.
“[On Samson and Mayank] Both were phenomenal in their departments, and this is what we look for every now and then from Sanju and Abhishek. The way they've been performing consistently throughout, taking that responsibility and setting the pace for us- exceptional performances by them, and also Mayank. Those three crucial wickets, it was something that stabilized the rhythm for us up ahead, but then after that, the partnership came in, and the momentum shifted towards them,” he concluded.
With this result, the five-match T20I series currently stands level at 1-1. The third T20I will be played in Indore on Sunday (October 11).
