Kolkata, March 1 – The West Indies relied on impactful contributions from Roston Chase and a brilliant late innings from Jason Holder and Rovman Powell to post a formidable 195/4 against India at Eden Gardens on Sunday in what was a crucial Super Eights clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for both sides.
Put in to bat after India chose to field, the West Indies got off to a steady start through Shai Hope and Chase. The pair put on the first 50-plus opening partnership of the tournament against India, setting a strong foundation despite cautious early probing from Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya.
Hope managed a few boundaries but struggled to maintain a consistent pace, eventually falling for 32 off 33 balls when Varun Chakaravarthy delivered a sharp ball that breached his defence and ended the 66-run stand. Chase, however, kept the momentum going, playing with positive intent and rotating the strike effectively.
Shimron Hetmyer added further impetus with a quickfire 27 off just 12 balls, including two towering sixes, as the West Indies threatened to take control in the middle overs. But Jasprit Bumrah pulled things back brilliantly with a decisive double strike in the 12th over. Hetmyer edged one behind, and shortly after, Chase was caught for a well-made 40 off 25 balls, after mistiming a slower delivery to Suryakumar Yadav.
At 103/3, India sensed an opportunity to seize control, and Hardik Pandya strengthened their position by dismissing Sherfane Rutherford for 14. However, what followed was a stunning counterattack.
Powell and Holder dramatically shifted gears, particularly targeting Arshdeep Singh in the 16th over, which yielded 24 runs, including two massive sixes and a boundary. Holder, known for his finishing ability, also dominated against spin, smashing Varun Chakaravarthy for a six and a four in a crucial over.
The duo added crucial late runs, capitalizing on some sloppy Indian fielding, including multiple dropped catches. Powell's aggressive 34 off 19 balls and Holder's unbeaten 37 off 22 balls ensured a strong finish for the West Indies.
Holder’s towering six off Bumrah in the final over epitomized the Caribbean side’s fearless approach, even as Bumrah finished with impressive figures of 2/36.
The West Indies plundered 70 runs in the final five overs, turning what seemed like a competitive total into a daunting one. While India’s bowlers, led by Bumrah, found breakthroughs at key intervals, their fielding lapses and inability to contain the late onslaught allowed the West Indies to seize control.
With 195 on the board in a high-stakes encounter, and a semi-final berth against England awaiting the winner, it will be interesting to see if the defending champions can chase down the total, or the two-time champions, the West Indies, knock the other hosts out of the race.
Key Scores: West Indies 195/4 in 20 overs (Roston Chase 40, Jason Holder 37, Rovman Powell 34; Jasprit Bumrah 2-36) against India.
