Obed McCoy recorded the best bowling figures for any bowler against India in T20I cricket and also for the West Indies, as the Men in Maroon bounced back in an empathic manner to win the second of the five-match series game played at the Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts, by 5 wickets on Monday night.
Obed McCoy ran riot in the Indian batting ranks, handing the tourists their first collective failure with the bat to set up a stunning win for the West Indies in a series wherein they were increasingly looking hapless.
The West Indies batsmen also deserved rich applause for the fact that they did not show any weakness in a small but tricky chase to level the five-match series 1-1.
After dismissing the Indian opening pair of Rohit Sharma (0) and Suryakumar Yadav (11), the left-arm Caribbean seamer Obed McCoy returned to the bowling attack later in the first half of the game to add four more wickets to his tally.
Obed McCoy removed Ravindra Jadeja (27), Dinesh Karthik (7), Ravichandran Ashwin (10) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1) in a superb spell which will be remembered for a long time to come, returning with dream figures of 4-1-17-6.
The Indian team, which had so far won four matches on the trot on this tour of the Caribbean, was shot out for a paltry 138 in 19.4 overs with Hardik Pandya (31) being the highest scorer. The third highest individual score came off the bat of Rishabh Pant, who smacked 2 sixes and a four to make a 12-ball 24.
The star of the West Indies win on Monday night also was Brandon King, who put behind a string of disappointing outings to anchor the chase for his side. The right-handed opening batsman dug deep to keep the West Indies afloat — especially in phases when India had them on the mat and had the game in their grasp — even if it was for a while.
Brandon King fell only after the job was finished from his end — he smoked 8 fours and 2 sixes to make a rapid 68 from just 52 balls, producing an entertaining and assuring innings especially when others fell around him.
Kyle Mayers was dismissed for 8, Nicholas Pooran continued to misfire as he was dismissed for 14, Shimron Hetmyer made 6 and Rovman Powell could manage only 5 — which indicates that India took the game deep and tested the Caribbean resolve to end their losing streak to the hilt.
Devon Thomas played an important knock in the middle overs, hitting 2 sixes and a four to make a 19-ball 31, producing an innings which took the pressure off the Caribbean side and put the same back on the Indians.
The game had a delayed start for over three overs as the playing kits of the players from both teams did not arrive in the stadium on time.
The third T20I will be played at the same venue on Tuesday night.
