Rampant Lewis batters India into submission
A brilliant second Twenty20 International century from Evin Lewis turbo-charged Windies to a nine-wicket rout in the one-off game against India at Sabina Park in Kingston on Sunday.
India had failed to capitalise on a blazing start on being put in by Carlos Brathwaite, and only managed 190 for 6 on an excellent batting surface. Lewis made the target look miniscule as he muscled 12 gigantic sixes and six fours in remaining unbeaten on 125 off just 62 deliveries. Consequently, the Windies romped to 194 for 1, achieving a commanding victory with nine deliveries to spare.
Lewis, the left-hand batsman, joined Chris Gayle, his fellow-opener, and Brendon McCullum as the only men with two T20I hundreds, though he became both the first West Indian to score a T20I century in the Caribbean and the first man to score two T20I tons against a single opposition.
Eleven months back, Lewis had made an even hundred against the Indians in Lauderhill in the United States, when Windies edged home by one run in a tall-scoring contest.
On Sunday, Lewis totally shaded Gayle during an opening stand of 82 in which the senior pro’s contribution was a sedate 18 off 20 before he was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav, the debutant left-arm wrist spinner, in the ninth over.
Marlon Samuels then played second fiddle to the explosive Lewis with an eye-catching 36 off 29 deliveries as their unbroken second-wicket stand of 112 saw Windies home in the 19th over.
Lewis fittingly ended the contest with another swing for six off Ravindra Jadeja to achieve the highest individual score in a T20I chase.
India did not help their cause by dropping him twice in the deep as he approached the half-century mark, Mohammed Shami and Dinesh Karthik the culprits in the field on a gusting, swirling afternoon.
Earlier, Virat Kohli (39 off 22 balls), the Indian captain, and Shikhar Dhawan (23 off 12) led the charge, putting on 64 for the first wicket until both fell in the sixth over of the innings sent down by Kesrick Williams. Kohli was caught at mid-on while Dhawan was run out the next ball, backing up too far and failing to beat Williams’ direct hit at the bowler’s end.
In just his second T20I, Rishabh Pant struggled to get going even as the experienced Karthik dominated an 86-run third-wicket stand before he fell for 48, bowled behind his legs by Samuels. Karthik’s knock came off just 29 deliveries and included three sixes and five fours.
India were handily placed at 151 for 3 in the 16th over when Karthik was dismissed, but lost their way in the final quarter of their innings. Jerome Taylor removed Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Pant (38 off 35 balls) off successive deliveries, while Williams claimed his second wicket when he accounted for Kedar Jadhav through a fine diving catch by Sunil Narine coming off the deep backward square-leg boundary.
India were forced to make a late change to their XI as Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder, picked up an injury in the morning warm-ups, with Jadeja taking his place.
