Rain ruins T20I thriller as Windies and India settle for 2-2 draw
Key Points(5)
- Persistent rain robbed the West Indies and India of a decisive finish to their entertaining five-match T20 International series on Saturday, forcing the final match to be abandoned and leaving the teams tied at 2-2.
- Thousands of spectators packed the M.
- Chinnaswamy Stadium hoping to witness a dramatic conclusion to a series filled with high scores and attacking cricket.
- Instead, repeated showers brought the contest to an abrupt end just as India threatened to take the game away from the visitors with a late batting assault.
- India had surged to 118 for five in 7.4 overs when the umpires called the players off the field for the final time.
Persistent rain robbed the West Indies and India of a decisive finish to their entertaining five-match T20 International series on Saturday, forcing the final match to be abandoned and leaving the teams tied at 2-2.
Thousands of spectators packed the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium hoping to witness a dramatic conclusion to a series filled with high scores and attacking cricket. Instead, repeated showers brought the contest to an abrupt end just as India threatened to take the game away from the visitors with a late batting assault.
India had surged to 118 for five in 7.4 overs when the umpires called the players off the field for the final time. With the rain continuing beyond the cutoff time, there was no prospect of a restart.
India attack despite weather interruptions
The weather had already disrupted the schedule before the first ball was bowled, delaying the start by more than two hours. When conditions finally allowed play to begin, the match had been reduced to nine overs per side.
West Indies captain Shai Hope won the toss and elected to field, but India's batters wasted little time taking advantage of the shortened contest.
Keemo Paul conceded 14 runs in the opening over, although he also made an early breakthrough when Shamar Joseph took a catch at midwicket to dismiss Abhishek Sharma.
The early wicket did little to slow India's charge. Ishan Kishan immediately put Romario Shepherd under pressure, launching a six over backward square before adding another maximum and two boundaries in an explosive second over.
Kishan raced to 30 from just 10 deliveries, giving the home side the rapid start required in the abbreviated format.
Joseph and Springer provide resistance
The West Indies struck back when Kishan miscued a pull against Shamar Joseph and was caught at mid-on, leaving India at 45 for two in the third over.
Captain Shreyas Iyer contributed 22 from 14 balls, but it was Naman Dhir who provided the late acceleration. His unbeaten 24 from just six deliveries, including three sixes and a four, helped propel India beyond 15 runs per over.
Springer also made an impact with the ball, removing Tilak Varma when the batter dragged a wide yorker onto his stumps. That dismissal proved to be the final action of the match, as a light drizzle intensified into a downpour and forced another interruption.
Springer finished with two wickets for 17 runs, while Paul claimed two for 34.
Series ends without a deciding result
The abandonment denied both teams the opportunity to claim the series outright after four completed matches had left the contest evenly poised.
Although the 2-2 result reflected the balance between the sides across the series, the weather ensured that the finale failed to match the excitement generated by the preceding games.
For the packed Bengaluru crowd, the prospect of a thrilling finish gave way to frustration as the rain continued. The teams had delivered a compelling contest throughout the series, but the decisive fifth match ultimately belonged to the weather.
