In a thrilling encounter on a balmy Sunday evening in Lauderhill, Florida, the West Indies cricket team triumphed over India, securing a 3-2 series victory in a dramatic five-match bilateral T20I series.
The West Indies’ triumph marked their first-ever series win over India in a bilateral T20I competition consisting of three or more matches. On the other hand, india lost 3 matches in a 5 match T20I series for the first time in their playing history.
India, determined to put up a strong showing, managed to amass a competitive total of 165 runs on the scoreboard, largely due to the impressive half-century knock from Suryakumar Yadav. However, the West Indies demonstrated their mettle by chasing down the target with a composed performance, finishing the game with two overs to spare.
The driving force behind this remarkable victory was Brandon King, who remained unbeaten with a stellar 85 runs to his name. He found formidable support in the likes of Nicholas Pooran, contributing a significant 47 runs, and Shai Hope, who remained not out with 22 runs.
Reflecting on the outcome, Hardik Pandya, the captain of the Indian side, adopted a positive stance at the post-match ceremony. He articulated:
“All these games are the games where we have to learn. We have spoken as a group that whenever we can take the hard way we will. In hindsight, (losing) one series here or there doesn’t matter but the commitment to the goal is important.”
Pandya emphasized that the journey of winning and losing is an integral aspect of the growth process for any team, and pledged that the Indian squad would glean valuable lessons from the experience.
However, not everyone was as optimistic as Pandya. Former Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad shared his candid thoughts about the team’s performance on Twitter following the match. Known for his direct approach, Prasad commented:
“India has been a very very ordinary limited overs side for sometime now. They have been humbled by a West Indies side that failed to qualify for the T20 WC few months back. We had also lost to Ban in the ODI series. Hope they introspect instead of making silly statements.”
Prasad’s comments seemed to be a response to Pandya’s positive outlook, urging the Indian team to engage in introspection and learn from their recent setbacks.
In what appeared to be a subtle critique of Pandya’s remarks, Prasad further added:
“They [Indian T20 captain and management] are responsible for the debacle and need to be accountable. Process and such words are misused now. MS [Dhoni] meant it, guys now just use the word. There is no consistency in selection, random stuff happening too much.”
Prasad’s comment highlighted the need for accountability and consistency within the Indian cricket setup, emphasizing that mere rhetoric without substantial action may not lead to desired outcomes.
The recent series between West Indies and India has undoubtedly provided ample food for critics and fans alike. As the Indian team takes stock of their performance and plans their future strategies for T20I series against Ireland, it remains to be seen how they will navigate the challenges and establish a formidable team in the T20 arena.
