OBED MCCOY produced the best-ever figures by a West Indies bowler in Twenty20 Internationals before the Caribbean side held their nerve in the final over to beat India for the first time in nearly three years and level the five-match series at 1-1.
Left-arm seamer McCoy snatched six for 17 from a brilliant four-over spell as India, sent in at Warner Park here yesterday, crumbled for 138 in 19.4 overs
Opener Brandon King then lashed a top score of 68 from 52 deliveries to inspire a successful West Indies run chase, Devon Thomas arriving at the back end to punch a crucial 19-ball unbeaten 31 to hand the home side a five-wicket win with four balls to spare.
With West Indies requiring 10 runs from the last over, Thomas cleared the ropes at extra cover with the first legitimate delivery of the over from seamer Avesh Khan before slashing the next ball to the backward point boundary.
The victory was the hosts’ first win in six outings against India and only their second in their last 14 dating back to 2018.
“I can finally breathe now,” captain Nicholas Pooran said afterward.
“It’s been a tough summer for us. We know we have lost a couple of games, a couple of close games as well.
“We made a mess of this total today but in saying that, India did bowl well in phases but I’m really happy we crossed the line today.”
Batsmen struggled
Hardik Pandya top-scored with a run-a-ball 31, Ravindra Jadeja, batting at number six, struck 27 from 30 balls while Rishabh Pant chipped in with a 12-ball 24 but no one else passed 20 as India’s batsmen struggled uncharacteristically.
McCoy struck with the first ball of the game – twice delayed from its scheduled 10:30 a.m. start due to the late arrival of luggage into the country – removing captain Rohit Sharma to a catch at short third man off a lifting delivery.
And with the first delivery of his next over with the score on 17, McCoy had Suryakumar Yadav (11) nicking behind – the first of three catches for Thomas, in his first match in almost a month.
When Shreyas Iyer also edged behind for 10 in the fifth over, slashing at a pacy delivery from fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and Pant perished to a catch at midwicket off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, India were stumbling on 61 for four in the seventh over.
Pandya counted a four and two sixes and Jadeja notched a single six, the pair posting 43 for the fifth wicket – the best stand of the innings. Once Pandya holed out in the 14th over off pacer Jason Holder, McCoy snatched four of the last five wickets to fall as the innings collapsed.
“It’s a great feeling. I’ve been working really hard and to be able to perform against a top side like India, is a great, great feeling,” said the 25-year-old McCoy.
“I think when you’re bowling, you’ve got to have a clear mind. You go with your plans and you assess the conditions – the ground, the wind, everything – and you just bowl accordingly.”
King, who missed the opener in Trinidad last Friday, led West Indies’ response, striking eight fours and a couple of sixes as he dominated a 46-run, opening stand with Kyle Mayers (8).
The Jamaican added a further 25 for the second wicket with Pooran, who made 14 before holing out in the deep-off off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, sparking a slide that saw four wickets tumble for 53 runs.
King, who reached his fourth T20I fifty off 39 balls at the end of the 12th over, was bowled in the 16th over backing away to Avesh but Thomas held his nerve and delivered.