The way the bowlers bowled was brilliant: MS Dhoni

The West Indies v India T20I series ended on a rather tame note as the second T20I that promised to be a high octane encounter was washed out by rain. The start of the game was delayed by 40 minutes as the broadcasters faced some technical issues. There was rain forecast but with the sun out bright for most part of the day, the game could’ve well been completed or at least reached a conclusive position had there been no delay.

A minimum of 5 overs is mandatory for a T20 game to bare a result but after just 2 overs into the Indian innings there was a shower that lasted 20-30 minutes but the impact it had and the time the ground staff required to make the ground fit for use again extended beyond the available cap of 90 minutes. In the end, both the captains shook hands and the match was called off. Team India would be disappointed since they bowled really well to restrict West Indies to 143 bowling them out inside 20 overs.

Carlos Brathwaite had a successful captaincy debut since the Windies team took the trophy on the back of their victory in the first game. From what it looked like they were in trouble in this game at the half-way stage having posted an under par total but all that is just talking about what could’ve happened. The Indian team did make their maiden appearance in the United States though not a very fruitful one for them but would’ve definitely left an impact on the cricket fans in the country.

Following the game and on the conclusion of the series skipper MS Dhoni said: “If you compare the two games, you’d wonder if we were playing on the same wicket. I’m not saying we would have definitely won, but a good batting effort would have seen us through after 140 odd. We took a bit of risk bringing Mishra in for Stuart Binny, and it paid off well.  I think it was quite difficult. But the way the bowlers bowled was brilliant. They executed the plans very well, good batting effort would have seen us go through. We played one batter short, but realizing the wicket we thought we need an extra bowler. Leg-spinner is a fair option. Mishra bowled exceedingly well and was well supported by Ashwin.”

Talking about playing in the United States Dhoni said, “This is one place where we can come back and play cricket. A triangular or four-nation series. A tournament like that can give us more time to spend in the US. Yes, it will be a cramped schedule, but modern-day cricketers won’t mind it. This is one place where spectators will come. The timing suits us. So it’s a win-win situation. So it’s a good venue to continue cricket.”

West Indies skipper was the pleased one. His boys held the nerves in the first game and when they weren’t in a really ideal position the rain gods helped them clinch the series. Carlos Brathwaite said: “Indian bowlers executed their plans really well. We tried our best, didn’t get the score we wanted but we always had full confidence in defending our total. Lewis and Charles are the positives for us. For me as a young leader to know and lead the players is an exciting experience. We want to remain champions and entertain the West Indian crowd. Most definitely we would love to come back here again. Fantastic wicket and lovely facilities, it will only get better. We want to play a big part in bringing cricket here. We really enjoyed our time in Florida.”