India v West Indies talking points: Hosts stutter at death as Allen's fumble proves costly

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  • India stole it at the death with after a costly misfield.

    India completed a 3-0 series clean over the Windies in the T20 series that completes the tour, but they were made to earn their six-wicket win in the final clash at Chennai on Sunday.

    Electing to bat first, the visitors put up a commanding 181-3 on the board from their 20 overs. In reply, India were cruising before some finishing line hiccups saw them stutter to victory off the final delivery of the match.

    At the end of a nail-biting T20 clash at the M.A Chidambaram stadium, we look at the key talking points.

    BRAVO AND POORAN LIFT WINDIES WITH THE BAT

    West Indies openers Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope got off to an explosive start in the powerplay with the pair adding 51 runs from the first six overs of the innings.

    However, both the batsmen fell within quick succession as India bounced back with three wickets to but the brakes on the visitors. At 94-3, Nicholas Pooran joined Darren Bravo at the crease and the pair not only repaired the damage, but also lifted the Windies innings with some counter-attacking batting.

    Pooran came out flying out of the blocks with an innings laden with four sixes and as many boundaries as he fought his way to a quick-fire fifty. Bravo, at the other end, was more watchful in his approach but played some delightful shots in his innings of 43.

    The two batsmen remained unbeaten till the very end as they stitched together an 87-run stand to help the visitors post a challenging total.

    DHAWAN AND PANT ANCHOR CHASE WITH STYLISH FIFTIES

    India were rocked early in their chase of 182 with stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma perishing for just four runs to Keemo Paul. KL Rahul arrived at the crease but fell early too in an entertaining 10-ball innings.

    With India’s innings in danger of falling away, Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant took it upon themselves to steer the chase through. Pant was his usual attacking self, throwing his hands at anything wide and loose to carve out boundaries with regularity.

    Registering his maiden half-century in the format, the youngster slammed three sixes and five boundaries on his way to a 38-ball 58.

    Dhawan, meanwhile, was intent on converting his good start after failing to register a single fifty in the ODI series and preceding T20s. The left-handed opener was the primary aggressor in the 135-run stand for the third-wicket as he brought up his eight T20I half-century.

    A fine show from the two Delhi batsmen.

    A fine show from the two Delhi batsmen.

    INDIA LEAVE IT LATE AS ALLEN’S FUMBLE PROVES COSTLY

    Dhawan and Pant’s impressive show had all but sealed a comprehensive win for India with the equation coming down to 19 required off the final 18 deliveries.

    What should have been a canter then turned into frantic finish for the hosts as the visitors stormed back with some quiet deliveries. Brathwaite conceded only 11 runs in the 18th over despite bowling two wides and one no-ball.

    Still, an equation of eight required off 12 deliveries should have been a walk in the park for the hosts. However, the picture quickly changed in the penultimate over with Keemo Paul snaring the wicket of Pant while only conceding three runs.

    Then, in the final over, India scored four runs off the first three deliveries to tie the scores with Dhawan regaining strike. Fabian Allen ramped up the pressure with a dot-ball from the fourth delivery before he had Dhawan caught in the deep off the fifth.

    With one run required off the final delivery, Manish Pandey hit the ball towards the right of Allen who failed to gather cleanly and allowed India to steal a quick single for victory.

    Allen is inconsolable after his costly blunder.

    Allen is inconsolable after his costly blunder.

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