West Indies wielded power as they flexed their muscles in the final group stage match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against Afghanistan on Monday, June 17 (local time) in Saint Lucia to enter Super 8 with a thumping 104-run win. After being put in to bat first, West Indies batters came out all guns blazing as Nicholas Pooran, Johnson Charles, and Rovman Powell guided West Indies to a massive score of 218 runs, their highest in the T20 World Cup, which eventually was too much for Afghanistan to chase down.
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan opted to field first after winning the toss. A wicket in the second over almost proved the decision right but Pooran and Charles ripped apart the Afghanistan bowling attack — which took pride in bowling out the opposition for less than a hundred thrice in a row. A 36-run over, the highest T20 World Cup powerplay score, and numerous other records later, it was West Indies batters pounding the Afghanistan bowlers almost at will.
Right from the outset, Nick Pooran and Johnson Charles appeared set on changing the game’s dynamics. Pooran’s excellent shot selection and Charles’s aggressive approach set the tone for West Indies’ innings. The duo combined power hitting and quick running between the wickets to establish a firm foundation. Rovman Powell then joined the fray, amplifying the pressure on Afghanistan’s bowlers with his powerful hitting.
In the middle overs, Afghan spinners did slow things down but with the deep batting line-up they had, the West Indies fancied their chances to get a score in excess of 200, after the 92-run powerplay they had. Charles shrugged off a poor run of form at his home ground while Pooran missed his T20I century by a whisker. However, the left-hander did break Chris Gayle’s record of most sixes by a West Indies batter and reached the 2000-run mark, a first for a Caribbean batter.
Nicholas Pooran’s near-century was a significant highlight. His innings exhibited not just power but also an elegant stroke play, making fans and experts admire his form. Reaching the milestone of 2000 runs in T20 internationals, Pooran set a benchmark for the Caribbean cricketers to come. Johnson Charles, on the other hand, played the anchor role with quintessential stability before unleashing his boundary-hitting capabilities later in his innings.
. These performances ensured that West Indies not only set a formidable target but also demoralized the Afghan bowlers in the process.
The target of 218 was always going to be a challenging one even though the surface played true at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet. Early wickets in the powerplay didn’t help Afghanistan’s cause. Omarzai, skipper Rashid Khan, and Karim Janat did hit a few lusty blows but regular wickets meant Afghanistan were always behind the required rate. Akeal Hosein and Obed McCoy were the pick of the bowlers for West Indies taking two and three wickets, respectively and Afghanistan eventually folded for 114.
As Afghanistan commenced their chase, it became evident that the enormous target put them under immense pressure. Early breakthroughs by West Indies bowlers pegged the Afghan team back. The fall of key wickets within the powerplay overs meant that Afghanistan was always on the back foot. Rashid Khan and Karim Janat endeavored to mount a resistance, but they fell short in the face of disciplined and strategic bowling by West Indies.
Akeal Hosein and Obed McCoy emerged as the spearheads of this bowling attack. McCoy’s three-wicket haul and Hosein’s tight spells shattered Afghanistan’s dreams of a successful chase, ensuring that the required run rate was always beyond reach. Despite some aggressive late hitting by Omarzai, the Afghan innings could not withstand the pressure, folding for a mere 114.
Not only did the West Indies batting line-up shine, but their fielding and bowling units also complemented each other perfectly to script this comprehensive victory. The team’s performance throughout the match mirrored their strategies and training, showcasing why they are one of the top contenders for the T20 World Cup title this year.
Afghanistan will now be in action a couple of days later against the Indian team while the West Indies will take on England in their first Super 8 encounter at this very venue. Since the Super 8 draws were decided by pre-seedings, the game was an inconsequential one with West Indies seeded as C2 irrespective of where they finished on the table.
