June 28, 2019 by admin

Fifth win, India knock at doors

So, history repeated itself in England, 36 years after the epochal summer of 1983, almost to the day. India bowled West Indies out for 143 today — it was 140/10 on June 25, 1983; India won by 125 runs today, it was only 43 runs 36 years ago. It was a shocker then, it was a routine win for hot favourites India this time around. West Indies haven’t won the World Cup in 40 years; by today’s performance, it’s clear that they’re not going to win another for a considerable period of time.

In 1983, India’s quick and slow-quick bowlers had picked up all 10 wickets; today, the much-pacier Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah got 6/25. West Indies subsided suddenly, after seemingly capable of putting up a fight.

Bumrah trick

The hat-trick ball from Jasprit Bumrah was the most interesting — it was a loopy slow yorker designed to fool batsmen superior to Kemar Roach, the West Indies No. 9. Bumrah had fooled Shaun Marsh with such a ball last December in the Melbourne Test. At 98km/h, Bumrah to Roach was a good 40km/h slower than his usual. Roach, though, managed to spot the ball coming in slower than usual, and jammed the bat down.

The ball that didn’t get the hat-trick, in fact, was the third in a chain of three deadly balls put together by Bumrah, the first two getting rid of Carlos Brathwaite and Fabian Allen. Brathwaite, possibly the last hope of West Indies, had got one that was angled in and straightening, and the burly batsman got sucked into a push, edging the ball towards the second slip; Mahendra Singh Dhoni dived full length and the ball got glued to his right glove.

Allen, the next man, got one that came in sharply, at 144m/h, and pinned the batsman back. The umpire raised his finger; Allen reviewed the decision but on replays, the ball was showing to be shaving the paint of the wicket. Perhaps a bit unlucky, Allen, but the LBW decision stood. Just as Allen knew he got a bit unlucky, Bumrah knew that he got a bit lucky, gesturing with his fingers to display how close it was.

Two wickets in three balls, deserving of a hat-trick — the Bumrah burst in the middle of the West Indies innings was part of a spectacular and quick combustion of the chase. West Indies seemed to be motoring along at 80/3, looking set to put up a fight; then, in the course of the next 9.3 overs, they lost 6 wickets for 44 runs. That, basically, was that.

Shami on top

The man who did get a hat-trick in India’s last game, Shami, had put India on the right track, getting the childishly boastful and lovable Universe Boss Chris Gayle; Gayle had edged one past stumps for four, before Shami surprised him with one that was short and quick and handed Jadhav a simple catch. Two overs later, Shai Hope tried to drive straight and played outside the line of the ball, and the ball sneaked past bat and pad and crashed into the stumps.

Nicholas Pooran and Sunil Ambris put up the only partnership worth noting then, 55 for the third wicket. But then Hardik Pandya got Ambris with a slowish off-cutter which the batsman failed to spot, and Pooran fell when he went for a six but failed to clear long-off — 80/4. Jason Holder tried to relieve the pressure by attacking Yuzvendra Chahal but found Jadhav at cover. Then Bumrah and Shami took over again.

Kohli in charge

When India batted, yet again Rohit Sharma couldn’t get going, with 18 off 23. But perhaps he got a bit unlucky… He was given out by the third umpire after the ball went through bat-pad, and the umpire ruled that it was off the bat. Rohit’s reaction suggested he thought he hadn’t hit the ball.

Kohli, yet again, played the saviour, with his fourth half-century in a row. He was in control through his innings, but got out in a tame fashion, striking the ball right to Bravo at midwicket. India’s innings, yet again, revolved around Kohli — the ambition of 300 ended with his exit. MS Dhoni was slower than run-a-ball, while Pandya provided the innings the fillip with 46 off 38. It might seem unfair to quibble over Dhoni’s lack of pace in batting after a thumping win, but it’s a worry indeed.

Number game

3 RD Captain — Virat Kohli — in World Cup history to register four consecutive 50-plus scores after Graeme Smith (2007) and Aaron Finch (2019*)

1 ST Indian captain — Virat Kohli — to score four consecutive 50-plus scores in World Cup history

1 Time West Indies have managed to reach semifinals (1996) in last nine editions

1 ST Indian — Mohammed Shami — to take three 4-wicket hauls in the World Cup. He is the second Indian after Umesh Yadav (2015) with back-to-back 4-wicket hauls in World Cup

SCOREBOARD
Match #34 June 27: India vs West Indies
Toss: India (Batting)
Man of the Match: Virat Kohli

INDIA

Runs Balls 4 6

KL Rahul b Holder 48 64 6 0

R Sharma c Hope b Roach 18 23 1 1

V Kohli c Bravo b Holder 72 82 8 0

V Shankar c Hope b Roach 14 19 3 0

K Jadhav c Hope b Roach 7 10 1 0

MS Dhoni not out 56 61 3 2

H Pandya c Allen b Cottrell 46 38 5 0

M Shami c Hope b Cottrell 0 2 0 0

K Yadav not out 0 1 0 0