Scores: West Indies 143 (Charles 43, Mishra 3-24, Ashwin 2-11, Bumrah 2-26) v India 15/0 of 2 overs. (No result because of rain)
Someone rightly said; Cricket is a game of uncertainties. We witnessed one such incidence yesterday as one side scored 245 in 20 overs and it was almost chased down as well. There was an incident today as well and it was anything but cricket. To understand in brief, India bowled brilliantly to restrict West Indies to 143 in 20 overs on a flat batting track and were 15 for no loss in 2 overs and on track to level the series when the heavens opened up. The showers lasted for 15 minutes but the outfield could not be deemed fit to get in another 3 overs to get a result from the game. It was unfortunate but understandable as these things happen as the weather is not in anybody`s control. But the most critical factor here was not the weather or bowling or batting but the darker commercial aspect of the game. The broadcasters were facing some technical glitch hence the match was delayed by a massive and decisive 40 minutes. It was not the rain that washed the match without the result but it was the intent of viewing cricket just as a money making machine. The broadcasters could not show the live match due to a glitch so they decided to hold the match up to satisfy the sponsors. Had we got on with the game on time, the final scorecard could have been meaningful.
To review, India came out spirited and well prepared to bowl according to a plan to each batsman. Opener Charles hit an aggressive 43 off 25 balls before becoming Amit Mishra’s 1st wicket of the day on the 1st ball of his 1st over. Apart from Charles, there was no real contribution from any of the batsman as the Indian bowlers went about their job of picking up wickets regularly, without leaking much runs. West Indies innings folded for 143-all out in 19.4 overs as all the Indian bowlers, except Jadeja were amongst the wickets. Mishra led the pack with 3 wickets while Ashwin, Shami and Bumrah got 2 each.
A result can never be predicted to perfection but the conditions favoured the Indian team. Rains washed out the match when India were 15-0 in 2 overs. To get a result, a minimum of 5 overs were required to be played in the 2nd innings. According to D/L method, India needed to be 28-0 after 5 to win but even 3 overs could not be possible due to wet outfield.
This is the second such incidence in two weeks where a short period of rain has washed away the complete match due to poor ground conditions. This is the result of the short sightedness of BCCI as they are more keen in understanding the revenue models for all matches but do not ensure proper playing conditions before the tours. We hope this would be an eye opener for them as well.
To sum up, India got their first taste of cricket in the US of A and it was not bad at all. People thronged in thousands and the majority supported the Inidans. Looking forward to more such tours in the future.