முதலில் துப்பெடுத்தாடிய இந்தியா, 2 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்து 192 ஓட்டங்களைப் பெற்றது.
Virat Kohli ஆட்டமிழக்காமல் அதிகப்படியான 89 ஓட்டங்களை 47 பந்துகளில் பெற்றார்.
பதில் துடுப்பெடுத்தாடிய மேற்கிந்தியத் தீவுகள், 19.4 ஓவர்களில், 3 விக்கெட்டுகளை இழந்து இலக்கினையடைந்து வெற்றியைத் தனதாக்கியது.
Lendl Simmons, ஆட்டமிழக்காமல் 51 பந்துகளில் 82 ஓட்டங்கள் பெற்றார். Johnson Charles 36 பந்துகளில் 52 ஓட்டங்கள் பெற்றார்.
இறுதியாட்டத்தில், மேற்கிந்தியத் தீவுகள் இங்கிலாந்தை எதிர்த்து ஆடவுள்ளது,
Simply magnificent from Lendl Simmons! Kohli put on a masterclass in the first innings but the West Indies showed their full strength in chasing a total down. They lost their main weapon early on but knew they had the firepower to get over the line. A scintillating Semi Final and it will be England v West Indies in what will be another high scoring match up in the Final. Grab your breath and regrow those nails and we shall see you for a sensational Sunday!
India v West Indies, in the second semifinal of the ICC World Twenty20, was hyped up as a cracker whose destination, it was believed, would be dictated as much by which of Virat Kohli or Chris Gayle would have the better evening, as which team addressed its disciplines better. Kohli comprehensively shaded the big West Indian opener on Thursday (March 31), but India, error-prone and perhaps overcome by the occasion, still came up short as the Caribbean side found heroes of its own, most notably late replacement Lendl Simmons who would be well advised to buy a lottery ticket.
At his adopted Wankhede Stadium home, on a surface that he knows exceedingly well and which played true for the entire duration of the match, Simmons rode his luck – he was caught off no-balls from R Ashwin and Hardik Pandya when 18 and 50 respectively – but also showcased extraordinary power-hitting skills to turn a stiff run-chase into a walk in the park.
Kohli had unveiled another veritable delight, an unbeaten 89 that highlighted India’s 192 for 2 – Ajinkya Rahane for Shikhar Dhawan worked as he and Rohit Sharma realised 62 for the first wicket – on being put in. It wasn’t a trifling target even on an excellent batting strip; India roared into the ascendancy when Jasprit Bumrah knocked Gayle out with a full toss and Ashish Nehra foxed Marlon Samuels with a slower delivery as West Indies floundered at 19 for 2.
Simmons, who only flew in on Tuesday to replace the injured Andre Fletcher, found an equally like-minded attacking partner in Johnson Charles, West Indies riding on their 97-run third-wicket alliance of just 62 deliveries to complete a rousing seven-wicket win. It rounded off a great day for West Indian cricket – Stafanie Taylor’s ladies had earlier made their maiden entry into the final of the ICC Women’s World T20.
Charles, who had got the entertainment underway, departed - out to Kohli - with 77 still needed but with Simmons in full cry, Andre Russell flexed his own power-packed muscles with telling effect. Russell, who smacked the winning six off Kohli deep into the midwicket stands with – deceptively -- only two balls left, was a more than equal partner in the unseparated fourth-wicket stand of 80 that came off just 60 deliveries, hammering three fours and four sixes in his 20-ball 43. Simmons was almost stately in comparison – 82 off 51, seven fours, fives sixes. In all, 20 fours and 11 sixes, Gayle one four. And Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy and Carlos Brathwaite not even needed. England beware.
Kohli, down on his haunches by the end of it all, will acknowledge that his own unbeaten 89 wasn’t his most fluent in recent times, the start particularly scratchy as he seemed too charged up. He should have been run out off his third legal delivery, a free-hit slower ball from Bravo that got under his attempted hoick and trickled through to Denesh Ramdin.
Reactions after the winning shot:
