West Indies edge India in record run blitz

FORT LAUDERDALE, United States: West Indies defeated India by one run in a record run-laden Twenty20 clash on Saturday after piling up the third highest ever total in the game’s shortest format.

Set 246 to win, India needed two runs off the last ball for a famous victory in the Florida sunshine.

But skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni could only scoop a Dwayne Bravo delivery into the hands of Marlon Samuels at short third man to leave India agonisingly on 244-4.

Lokesh Rahul was unbeaten for India on 110 in just his fourth T20 match, hitting 12 fours and five sixes.

West Indies’ total of 245-6 was just short of Australia’s 248 against England in Southampton in 2013 while Sri Lanka’s 260 against Kenya at Johannesburg in 2007 remains the highest ever international T20 total.

Evin Lewis smashed an impressive 100 and Johnson Charles hit 79 as the West Indies laid the foundations to mark Carlos Brathwaite’s first game as skipper with a victory.

The second match of two back-to-back T20s at the rarely-visited Central Broward Regional Park venue takes place on Sunday (tomorrow).

Score Board

India won toss

West Indies

J Charles b Shami     79

E Lewis c Ashwin b Jadeja    100

A D Russell lbw b Jadeja      22

K A Pollard b Bumrah 22

*C R Brathwaite run out      14

D J Bravo not out     1

L M P Simmons b Bumrah    0

M N Samuels not out 1

Extras (w 4, nb 2)    6     

Total (6 wickets; 20 overs)  245

Did not bat: †A D S Fletcher, S P Narine, S Badree

Fall: 1-126, 2-204, 3-205, 4-236, 5-244, 6-244

Bowling: Shami 4-0-48-1 (2w); Kumar 4-0-43-0 (1w); Bumrah 4-0-47-2 (2nb); Ashwin 4-0-36-0; Jadeja 3-0-39-2; Binny 1-0-32-0 (1w)

India

R G Sharma c Charles b Pollard      62

A M Rahane c Bravo b Russell        7

V Kohli c Fletcher b Bravo    16

K L Rahul not out      110

*†M S Dhoni c Samuels b Bravo     43

Extras (lb 2, w 4)     6     

Total (4 wickets; 20 overs)  244

Did not bat: S T R Binny, R Ashwin, R A Jadeja, M Shami, J J Bumrah, B Kumar

Fall: 1-31, 2-48, 3-137, 4-244

Bowling: Russell 4-0-53-1 (2w); Badree 2-0-25-0; Bravo 4-0-37-2; Narine 3-0-50-0 (1w); Brathwaite 4-0-47-0; Pollard 3-0-30-1 (1w)

Result: West Indies won by 1 run

Series: West Indies lead the 2-match series by 1-0

Man of the Match: E Lewis (West Indies)

Umpires: N Duguid (West Indies) and J S Wilson (West Indies). TV umpire: L S Reifer (West Indies). Match referee: R S Madugalle (Sri Lanka)