India plunge to historic low after West Indies T20 series defeat

14.08.2023 - 05:53 thenationalnews.com

India's tour of the Caribbean concluded in disastrous fashion as they were brushed aside by a resurgent West Indies team in Florida on Sunday.

Opener Brandon King hit an unbeaten 85 as the Windies cruised to an eight-wicket win to secure a 3-2 victory in their T20 series.

Set a target of 166 to win the fifth and deciding contest in Lauderhill, West Indies reached their target with two overs to spare as Nicholas Pooran scored 47 in a partnership of 107 with King.

It was India's first bilateral series defeat to the West Indies in 17 years and also the first instance of India losing three matches in a T20 series.

cricket bowling India Cricket show UPS performer Nicholas Pooran Rahul Dravid India

The Indian cricket team had a mixed outing on the tour of West Indies. Though they won the Test and ODI series, while giving opportunities to plenty of youngsters, the T20I series resulted in a bitter 2-3 defeat. The critics, sensing a big opportunity, haven't shied away from targeting the Indian team. Amid the discussions over Team India's future, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared a quote that India's former skipper MS Dhoni and a few of his coaches told him.

Indian Cricket Team Captain Hardik Pandya Said "Let Nicholas Pooran Hit Me". West Indies Star Responds

Down 0-2 in the T20I series against West Indies, India started their comeback by beating the hosts in the 3rd T20I. The key to the Indian team's success was the fact that West Indies' hard-hitter Nicholas Pooran had failed to fire in the match. After the game, India skipper Hardik Pandya even issued a challenge to Pooran, saying he is hoping the Windies stalwart comes hard at him in the next game. Pooran has finally 'responded' to the challenge.

"Against Sanju, The Plan Was...": How West Indies Nullified Samson Threat

Another outing for the Indian team, another disappointing show from Sanju Samson. The wicket-keeper batter failed to make an opportunity account yet again as the Indian team lost the deciding 5th T20I against West Indies by 8 wickets. With the series loss, many feel that the chances of Sanju Samson making the Indian team for the Asia Cup or the World Cup are also over. While Samson is to be blamed for throwing his wicket at times, West Indies had come up with a concrete plan to nullify him in the 5th T20I on Sunday.

Nicholas Pooran, Hit By Arshdeep Singh's Delivery And West Indies Teammate's Shot, Shows Off Bruises

The five-match T20I series between India and West Indies ended on a memorable note for West Indies as they clinched victory 3-2. One player who grabbed a lot of limelight was wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran, who stunned everyone with his powerful knocks. In the eight-wicket victory against India in the fifth T20I, Pooran scored 47 runs and provided full support to Brandon King, who played an unbeaten knock of 85 runs. The 27-year-old star batter also walked away with the Player of the Series award.

Team India Creates 'Unwanted Records' With Shock T20I Series Defeat Against West Indies

Up against West Indies in tour that consisted of 2 Tests, 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is, the expectations from the subcontinent giants was that they would produce clean sweeps across formats. But, the reality was something else. The Test series resulted in a 1-0 win for India, with one drawn Test while the ODI assignment saw the team produce a 2-1 win. But, it was in the shortest format that the team was up for a shock. With Nicholas Pooran in prime form, West Indies stunned India 3-2, securing an unlikely series win that put the Indian team in the line of fire.

Rahul Dravid Makes "Batting Depth" Confession As India Suffer Embarrassing T20I Series Defeat

India's head coach Rahul Dravid didn't shy away from admitting failures in the batting department, especially with regards to the long tail after the Indian team slumped to a series defeat against West Indies. Dravid, speaking at the post-match press conference on Sunday, said that plenty of work needs to be put in order to solve the 'batting depth' puzzle that has troubled the Indian team for long.