India, West Indies share honours as rain abandons match in Bengaluru

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Only 48 minutes of play was possible on international cricket’s return to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after more than two years as the elements had the final say, forcing India and West Indies to share the honours in the five-match T20I series.

The 20,000-plus spectators who had braved inclement weather in the desperate hope of watching at least a five-overs-a-side showdown went home with mixed feelings. In the 7.4 overs of play that was possible after a 9:15 pm start, which reduced this to nine overs a side, India’s batters put on a show to remember, lashing eight fours and seven sixes to hurtle to 118-5.

However, their delight was cut short when the rain returned at 10:03 pm, forcing play to be first temporarily halted and then for the match to be officially called off at 10:16 pm. The latest for the game to resume for West Indies to have five overs of batting time was 10:21 pm.

Shai Hope, who has had a tour to remember, put India in and watched with perhaps a touch of envy as Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and then Naman Dhir flexed their muscles. Kishan swung Romario Shepherd over long-leg and out of the ground to herald the 100th six of the series, the perfect way to illustrate the stunning dominance of the bat over the ball throughout the last 11 days.

While Kishan (30 off 10 balls) set the early tone after Abhishek Sharma’s first-over dismissal by Keemo Paul, it was Naman (24 not out off six balls) who had the crowd eating out of his hands with some of the cleanest hitting of the series. His aerial driving down the straight field was delightful as he hammered three sixes in six deliveries, but that was as good as it got as the series ended 2-2.

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