‌WI vs USA | Twitter reacts to bowling brilliance set up Hope blitzkrieg to pepper USA with NRR surge

Winning the toss in a must-win clash, Rovman Powell, the West Indies captain elected to field first. Andre Russell was quick to remove Steven Taylor in the second over before Nitish Kumar and Andries Gous played through the 48-run powerplay phase until Gudakesh Motie trapped the former plumb in front. Alzarri Joseph removed the in-form Gous in the following over and Roston Chase ended Jones’ stay in quick succession leaving USA tangled at 69/4 in ten overs. The American unit added 28 runs in the next five overs for the loss of two wickets, including a double wicket Roston Chase over. Subsequently, Shadley van Schalkwyk’s minute contribution was followed by a couple of wickets in the 18th over before the tail steered them to 128.

Unlike their counterparts, West Indies got off to a flying start with Shai Hope in the driver’s seat. The ODI skipper assaulted the opposition bowlers with Johnson Charles playing second fiddle in a 66-run powerplay. A six over long off in the next over brought up Hope’s 26-ball fifty before Harmeet Singh dismissed Charles in the same over. With Nicholas Pooran at one end, Hope went berserk in the ninth over, slamming three consecutive sixes to curtail the equation to 32 required off eleven overs. Pooran followed up with a six and a four in the next over, before the pair hurried with a couple of more sixes to leave USA shattered in a West Indies nine wicket victory.