India’s record against West Indies in bilateral series’ at home has been immaculate, having never lost one. However, this time around, the record was put in jeopardy after they lost the second T20I. After losing the toss, the Indian openers took the side to a blitzkrieg, with Rohit and Rahul adding 135 runs in just 11.4 overs, before Rohit perished aiming for a big hit. With Kohli yet to bat, and India having already scored 135, despite Pant’s failed promotion, the match looked like it could only go in one direction. Rahul’s partnership with Kohli was filled with some breathtaking shots and lightning running between the wickets, a lesson for the cricketers in the making. The Indian skipper feasted on Pollard, who conceded 26 runs in the 19th over to lose grip over the game that was never in their hands. The home side reached 240 at the end of their innings and posted a score they knew they could defend. 

The reply never arrived and as Windies crashed to 17/3, the game looked as daunting for the visitors when Kohli and Rahul were batting in tandem. While Shimron Hetmyer and Kieron Pollard tried to take them closer to the target, they were never really in the game at any point of time and managed to score just 173 runs at the end of their overs, handing India a 67-run-victory at the Wankhede stadium with Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar picking two wickets each. In fact, Pollard’s 68 was the only shining light for the visitors.

It would be the first time in this series that a turning point has been decided by an injury and such has been Evin Lewis’ impact on the Windies batting order. In the first two games, the left-hander scored a total of 80 runs, including hitting seven massive sixes. Lewis’ absence not only hindered the visitors’ momentum going into the chase but also forced them to rejig the batting order with Brandon King opening the innings, which according to us, is where Windies lost the game. 

It is the first time that Pant has made a name for himself in back to back matches, but unfortunately, yet again, for all the wrong reasons. After his horrendous show with the gloves, the 21-year-old followed it up with a shell-shocker with the bat. How can you get dismissed for a 2-ball duck on a pitch where the other batsmen’s strike rate read 162, 208 and 241? or is it just a wicketkeeper’s curse, considering Pooran registered a duck too?

India’s approach in the powerplay was aggression and boy didn’t it come off well. Rohit Sharma, after the initial struggle, got the Men in Blue off to a flyer alongside KL Rahul. The duo added 72 runs in the powerplay and never once looked to settle for an ordinary start in the finale. Arguably the best approach by any top order in the powerplay in T20Is this year. 

Barring the brilliance from Cottrell in the 20th over, the Windies attack was taken for a ride outside the boundary in the death overs. Every delivery was met sweetly by Kohli and Rahul’s willow and the only destination it ever saw was outside the ground. After conceding just three runs in the 16th over, the Windies bowlers conceded 64 runs in the next four, with skipper Pollard’s 27-run over being the major culprit. The Windies’ death bowling was, well, dead.

West Indies were spot on in the field as they did throughout the series, be it running across the ground to save a boundary, or be it Evin Lewis’ efforts to ‘almost’ produce a wicket out of thin air. Pollard’s side were electric, restricting the boundaries in the middle overs after India’s explosive start. Hetmyer was one of the blobs in Windies’ fielding display, with a misfield allowing a boundary after Jason Holder missed a clear opportunity by not hitting the stumps. That was all that they could do in the field, with the ball flying all across the Wankhede, a sight that the crowd have been familiarised with.  

In comparison to the first two T20Is, the crowd were delivered a run-feast at the Wankhede. Right from home-boy Rohit Sharma’s humongous sixes to Virat Kohli’s mimic in the middle overs, the crowd were entertained to the fullest, including a Pollard special where he mercilessly thwarted the Indian bowlers out of the park.