For a fast bowler, line, length, rhythm and pace has to be in the house to churn out match-winning performances. But then, on days like these on Saturday, luck also plays a huge role in a team’s fortunes.
Andre Russell’s four-ball four-wicket burst, a rarity in T20 cricket and a superlative show by any standards, went in vain as India A romped home to a 93-run win over West Indies A in the one-off T20 encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, here.
Chasing a massive 214 piled by India A, the Caribbean side were sent back for 121 with Rahul Sharma turning in show stopping figures of 5/23. Barring Andre Fletcher (35), no other West Indies A batsmen put up a fight.
Earlier, the 24-year-old Russell stunned the Indian dugout and the spectators into silence with his devastating 19th over where India went from 189/4 to 189/7.
Starting with Kedhar Yadav, who was caught at long-off by Nkrumah Bonner, the Jamaican, who had gone for 43 runs in his previous three overs, had skipper Yuvraj Singh caught at midwicket. Naman Ojha was his hat-trick victim who went for the big hit and the catch was collected by Permaul Veerasammy at covers.
Pathan too went back immediately, caught at long-on by Fletcher and make it a day to remember for Russell.
The home team was given a rollicking start by Robin Uthappa (35, 21b) and Unmukt Chand (47), who laid the platform for a big score with their 40 ball-74-run partnership.
Lcal lad Uthappa was in a blazing form as he smote a fifth ball six, but failed to turn it into a big innings yet again, being trapped leg before by Veerasammy.
Unmukt then came into his own as he capitalised on the first of the two lifelines offered by the visitors. The 20-year-old Delhi lad was dropped at deep midwicket by Nikita Miller soon after Uthappa’s departure before again being reprieved by Jonathan Carter in the 10th over. But he ran out of luck falling to Ashley Nurse, caught at midwicket by Kirk Edwards.
After Baba Aparajith failed to fire, Yuvraj (52, 35b) combined with Yadav (42, 21b) who entertained with two huge straight sixes, put the scoring back on track.
Yuvraj, who initially struggled against the spinners, was on a roll as he went about enthralling the crowd which was in excessive of 11,000. The duo punished the Windies bowlers for every loose delivery and the fact that the visitors struggled with their line did not help their cause either.
Then of course, Russell’s lethal over triggered the collapse, but that came too late in the innings.
Scoreboard
India A: R. Uthappa lbw b Permaul 35, U. Chand c Edwards b Nurse 47, Yuvraj Singh c Powell b Russell 52, B. Aparajith c Edwards b Nurse 3, K. Jadhav c Bonner b Russell 42, Y. Pathan c Fletcher b Russell 0, N. Ojha c Permaul b Russell 0, S. Narwal (n.o) 18, R. Vinay Kumar (n.o) 1, Extras (lb 1, w 15) 16, Total (for 7 wkts; in 20 overs) 214.
FoW: 1-74, 2-94, 3-109, 4-189, 5-189, 6-189, 7-189.
Bowling: R. Beaton 4-0-58-0; A. Russell 4-0-45-4; N. Miller 2-0-28-0; V. Permaul 4-0-35-1; A. Nurse 4-0-18-2; N. Bonner 2-0-29-0.
West Indies A: A. Fletcher b Sharma 32, K. Powell c Jadhav b Vinay Kumar 8, N. Bonner c Chand b Unadkat 18, K. Edwards c Pathan b Sharma 0; J. Carter c Aparajith b Yuvraj 6, D. Thomas c Ojha b Sharma 21, A. Russell c Chand b Yuvraj 12, A. Nurse c Uthappa b Sharma 16, V. Permaul c Chand b Vinay Kumar 1, N. Miller (n.o) 4, R. Beaton c Unadkat b Sharma 0, Extras (lb 1, w 2) 3; Total (in 16.2 overs) 121
FoW: 1-21, 2-49, 3-55, 4-62, 5-65, 6-80, 7-115, 8-117, 9-119, 10-121.
Bowling: Y. Pathan 1-0-19-0; R Vinay Kumar 3-0-22-2; J. Unadkat 2-0-11-1; R. Sharma 3.2-0-23-5; Yuvraj Singh 4-0 24-2; S. Narwal 3-0-21-0.