The second match of the two-match Twenty20 International (T20I) between India and the West Indies here on Sunday was called off due to rain, leading to the latter clinch the cricket series 1-0.
After bowling out the West Indies for 143 in 19.4 overs, India were 15/0 in two overs when the dark clouds hovering over Lauderhill opened up, interrupting the play. Even though the rain stopped, wet outfield meant that the match couldn't be resumed.
It resulted in the match being called off and the West Indies bagged the series, thanks to their one-run win in the first match on Saturday at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground.
In the second match, India's bowlers showed marked improvement bowling out the West Indies for 143 in 19.4 overs and the team looked very much in contention to share the honours in the series.
India opted to bowl and Jasprit Bumrah (2/26), Mohammed Shami (2/31), Amit Mishra (3/24) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2/11) perfectly exploited the West Indian batsmen's loopholes as the latter struggled from the very start and even failed to play the full 20 overs.
Unlike their previous encounter which saw the West Indies hammering out 245/6 thanks to opening batsmen Evin Lewis (49-ball 100) and Johnson Charles (33-ball 79), India's bowlers operated with discipline and didn't alllow the West Indies batsmen to swing their bat freely.
Due to this, Lewis (7), especially, was frustrated as he mistimed pacer Shami for an easy catch for Mishra at short fine leg in the fourth over, with the team's score at 24.
The other opener Charles was more successful as he tonked a six and two fours in the same over. Bhuvneshawar Kumar too faced an assault from the right-hander with two fours in the fifth over.
With the West Indies reaching 50/1 in five overs, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni brought in Mishra for the sixth over and the leg-spinner, who replaced Stuart Binny in the match, struck on his first delivery. Charles's innings ended when he failed to clear Ajinkya Rahane at the long on boundary.
Later, Indian continued to cash in on the West Indies' lack of discipline and resoluteness. Off-spinner Ashwin had Lendl Simmons (19) stumped by glovesman Dhoni as the right-handed batsman missed the wide ball outside the leg stump as the West Indies reached 76/3 in 9.5 overs.
Bumrah then dealt a telling blow by removing veteran Marlon Samuels (5), who edged to Dhoni in the first ball of the 11th over.
Later, Ashwin had Kieron Pollard (13) leg before wicket in a carrom ball which forced the batsman to move back at the crease.
After these wickets, the West Indies were reeling at 92/5 in 11.5 overs and they were in dire need of a partnership but that didn't materialise.
Andre Fletcher (3) looked for runs as he opened up for room only to see a Bumrah yorker rattling his stumps and Dwayne Bravo (3) too missed the googly from Mishra only for his stumps to be dislodged, reducing his team to 111/7 in 15.2 overs.
Bhuvneshwar then removed Andre Russell (13), with the batsman's hoick at a low full toss ending up in the hands of Virat Kohli at long off.
Then Mishra bowled captain Carlos Braithwaite (18) as the West Indies' struggle reached 133/9 in 17.5 overs.
Shami ended the West Indian innings clean bowling Samuel Badree (1) in the final over as they were bowled out for 143.
In reply, opening batsmen Rohit Sharma (10 not out) and Ajinkya Rahane (4 not out) took India to 16 in two overs. But rain forced an early end to the match, as the Indian hopes evaporated.
Brief scores: West Indies 143 in 19.4 overs (Johnson Charles 43; Amit Mishra 3/24, Ravichandran Ashwin 2/11, Jasprit Bumrah (2/26). India: 15/2 in 2 overs. Match called off.
--IANS
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