West Indies are on the hunt for another ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, as they take on England, today (Wednesday), at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in a Super 8 match.
The Caribbean lads displayed a spectacular performance on Monday night against Afghanistan at the same venue. Led by Nicholas Pooran’s exceptional innings, the team’s comprehensive victory was truly impressive
Pooran’s 98 off 53 balls helped West Indies to 218 for 5. Afghanistan was dismissed for 114, with all the five bowlers the hosts used sharing the spoils.
It was the highest total for West Indies in men’s T20 World Cups, and Pooran, who hit eight sixes in his stay, surpassed Chris Gayle to become the leading six-hitter for the Windies in T20Is.
Pooran and homeboy Johnson “Johno” Charles set the tone for the Windies with a blistering second wicket partnership of 80 runs off 38 balls, following the early departure of Brandon King for 7.
Charles, with a stand named after him at the DSCG, did not disappoint. He had two ducks and a 44 heading into the game, and understandably, started tentatively before transforming into his boundary hitting prowess.
Notably, however, though Johnno’s innings did not include any of his trademark six-hitting skills, he hit eight boundaries, some crisply across the carpet. And the fans, particularly vocal, savoured every bit of it.
Pooran featured in a record 36-run over against Azmatullah Omarzai, in which he hit three sixes and two fours, including one off a no-ball. West Indies finished the powerplay on 92 for 1, the highest score in the first six overs in men’s T20 World Cups.
At 85 for 1 in five overs, West Indies looked set for a big score, as customary in IPL 2024 – scores around and over 250. But Rashid and his spin-twin Noor Ahmad used the slight purchase from the surface to tie the batters down.
Both varied the legbreak and googly, and also the lengths to keep the batters guessing. The bounce from the surface also came to their aid. As a result, only one four and three sixes – two of them by Shai Hope against Mohammad Nabi – came in the middle phase (overs 7 to 16), where West Indies scored only 66 and lost two wickets.
Though his momentum had been somewhat subdued in the middle overs, Pooran tore into the bowling at the latter end.
After clobbering back-to-back sixes in the last over off seamer Naveen-ul-Haq, Pooran looked primed to get to a century, only to be denied by a direct throw from Omarzai from deep cover.
Afghanistan’s openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have done the bulk of the heavy-hitting in the big wins against New Zealand and Uganda. Gurbaz fell early trying to take on powerplay enforcer Akeal Hosein, exposing the Afghanistan middle order in a tall chase.
Playing his first match in this T20 World Cup, left arm seamer Obed McCoy dismissed Najibullah Zadran, before knocking over #3 batter Gulbadin Nabi to reduce Afghanistan to 63 for 5 inside the tenth over. Azmatullah Omarzai 23 (19) managed to strike a few lusty blows but Hosein, Gudakesh Motie and Andre Russell never let them get away.
As a result, West Indies registered their second biggest win in T20 World Cups and head into the Super Eight stage with a clean slate.
The upcoming Super 8 match against England promises to be an electrifying event, and the enthusiasm among cricket fans is palpable.
The stakes are high and the Windies fans will take it even higher at the iconic DSCG, as they “Rally round the West Indies”.