The West Indies lost the first match on Sunday by six wickets.
West Indies won the toss and sent India to bat and their bowlers justified the decision restricting India to 237-9. After Kemar Roach dismissed Rohit Sharma for five, Odean Smith backed him up with the wickets of Risbah Pant and Virat Kohli for 18 each as India slipped to 43-3 in the 12th over.
A 90-run partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul held the West Indies up until 30th over when Rahul was run out for 49. Yadav and Washington Sundar added 43 for the fifth wicket before Nathan Allen had the former caught behind for a well-played 64.
Akeal Hosein claimed the wicket of Sundar for 24 and India struggled to push for a more challenging score as Jason Holder dismissed Deepak Hooda for 29 and Alzarri Joseph took the wickets of Shardul Thakur for eight and Mohammed Siraj for 3 as the Indian innings closed without flourish.
Yuzvendra Chahal was unbeaten on 11.
Smith was the best of the West Indies bowlers with 2-29 while Joseph took 2-36. There was a wicket each for Holder, Hosein, Roach and Allen.
With a target that required scoring below five runs an over, the West Indies opening pair of Brandon King and Shai Hope shared in a 32-run partnership that set the visitors up for a successful chase. However, once King got out to a rising delivery from Prasidh Krishna for 18, the West Indies’ chase went off the rails.
Hope was the next to go dismissed by Chahal for 27 from 52 balls.
Shamarh Brooks contributed 44 in the middle order but he lost partners frequently as the West Indies slumped to 76-5 in the 22nd over, Krishna picking up the wickets of Darren Bravo for one and Nicholas Pooran for nine along the way.
Hosein provided some lower-order resistance for the West Indies with a stubborn 34 from 52 balls and Smith provided a late flurry to score 24 from 20 balls but the West Indies were bowled out for 193. It was the second time in as many matches that they have failed to score 200.
Krishna returned the remarkable figures of 4-12 from nine overs while Thakur took 2-41.
The final match is set for Friday, February 11.
All 15 members of the provisional squad will travel to all matches. There will then be a 13-member squad for each match from which the final XI will be selected.
Wicket-keeper/batsman Shai Hope, and fast bowler Oshane Thomas have earned recalls to this format. Thomas played his last match in this format in Pakistan in December 2021 while Hope played his last match in India in February 2022.
Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “The squad is selected with the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in mind. We are looking at various plans as we try to find the right combinations. As we prepare; we are looking to build a unit which we believe can do the job when we host the global event in just under a year. We have some match-winners in our line-up and we will look to have the right kind of preparation, starting here in Trinidad on Thursday.”
Haynes added: “We also have other players who could come into consideration going forward, with the Caribbean Premier League starting next month, others will come into the reckoning.”
The Brian Lara Cricket Academy will host the opening match on Thursday. The teams then move to the Guyana National Stadium for the second and third fixtures on Sunday 6 August and Tuesday 8 August.
The series will climax with the blockbuster weekend at the Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida for the final matches on Saturday 12 August and Sunday 13 August. All matches start at 10:30am local time (9:30am Jamaica Time).
Tickets for the matches are available from box offices at Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain; the National Cricket Centre in Couva, Trinidad and the Guyana Cricket Board headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana. Additionally, tickets are available online in advance from the Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard at tickets.windiescricket.com .
Fans who purchase online will benefit from a 20% discount compared to the box office prices, with tickets ranging from the most premium seats with the best and shaded views in each stadium through to affordable standard seats or mounds/grounds entry.
Tickets are also available for the Tribe Party Stand in Trinidad with all-inclusive drinks and light food options. CWI has also announced that West Indies hospitality by the Red Stand will be on sale for the first time with tickets for the hospitality suites. This is a premium all-inclusive experience in air-conditioned suites, with outdoor viewing and fully inclusive premium food and drink options.
For the matches at the Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida there will be VVIP and VIP hospitality packages available providing patrons with a great experience.
FULL SQUAD
Rovman Powell (Captain)
Kyle Mayers (Vice Captain)
Johnson Charles
Roston Chase
Shimron Hetmyer
Jason Holder
Shai Hope
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Obed McCoy
Nicholas Pooran
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
Oshane Thomas
Match Schedule
Kuhl Stylish Fans T20I Series powered by Black and White
3 August: 1st T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
6 August: 2nd T20I, National Stadium, Guyana
8 August: 3rd T20I, National Stadium Guyana
12 August: 4th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
13 August: 5th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
- start time at: 10:30am (9:30am Jamaica)
Rovman Powell has been announced as the new Vice Captain for the T20Is while left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy returns after recovering from injuries. There are also recalls for experienced wicket-keeper batter Devon Thomas and allrounder Keemo Paul. In the CG United ODI Series squad, there is a call up for left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie.
“We know Rovman’s history. He has captained the West Indies before and is also the captain of his CPL franchise. Our role is to look at future leaders as well and we have identified a few, including himself, who we will be putting programmes around to ensure we keep them involved in that aspect of the cricket,” said lead selector Dr the Hon. Desmond Haynes.
“Thomas is a very versatile cricketer, who has been knocking on the door in all formats. He has been doing well in franchise cricket and with that level of talent, we must ensure we keep him interested. He brings a lot to the table and is basically a four-dimensional player, he can bat, bowl, he is brilliant in the field, and he can keep wicket as well. McCoy has done exceptionally well in the IPL and enjoyed a successful stint in England as well, so we are confident that he is back to his best in terms of playing and fitness. Generally, we have to start looking at the bigger picture of getting these players playing together as often as possible in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup later down in the year. We need to ensure we are fielding a very strong side for that tournament,” Haynes added.
The T20I Series opens with back-to-back matches on Saturday, 2 July and Sunday, 3 July at the Windsor Park in Dominica. This will see a return to international cricket at the fully refurbished venue, where international cricket is being hosted for the first time since the hurricane damage of 2017. The Series climaxes with the third and final match on Tuesday, 7 July at the Guyana National Stadium. The CG United ODI Series will be played at the Guyana National Stadium on Friday, 10 July, Monday 13 July and Thursday, 16 July.
Online ticket sales are now live via the new WINDIES TICKETS service, presented by Mastercard, at www.tickets.windiestickets.com. Fans can purchase in advance without the need to travel to box offices to save tickets to their mobile phones which can then be presented for scanning at the stadium entrance. Fans who register for the WINDIES TICKETS service and purchase tickets will also receive offers and promotions for future games.
In Dominica, there is great excitement on the Nature Isle for the return of international cricket with tickets available in three price categories providing a range of viewing positions for every budget. Ticket prices range from US$6 (EC$15) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (EC$40) for the standard seats and US$25 (EC$70) premium seating in the Shillingford Stand.
In Guyana, the prices will range from US$6 (GUY$1200) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (GUY$3000) for the Orange Stand or US$25 (GUY$5000) for the best seats in the Red and Green Stands, as the fans in Guyana welcome the busiest “Summer of Cricket” to the South American mainland.
Fans can watch live on ESPN Caribbean and listen to live radio commentary on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.
FULL SQUADS
T20 Internationals
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Obed McCoy
Keemo Paul
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
Devon Thomas
Hayden Walsh Jr.
Reserve: Dominic Drakes
One-Day Internationals
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Shai Hope (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Kaecy Carty
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Gudakesh Motie
Keemo Paul
Anderson Phillip
Rovman Powell
Jayden Seales
Reserve: Romario Shepherd
The West Indies lead the series 2-1 with the final two matches scheduled to be played on Saturday and Sunday.
Wayne Lewis, Honorary Secretary at WIPA confirmed to Sportsmax.TV today that WIPA received an email from CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams Thursday afternoon informing of the delay to the discussions surrounding the issue that, according to sources, has caused discord within the senior team. He expects the meeting to be held sometime next week.
The matter surfaced earlier this week when allegations were being made that Jamaican all-rounder was being victimized by the team leadership and was eventually dropped for the third match played on Wednesday that the West Indies won by 20 runs. Smith’s replacement Rovman Powell scored his maiden T20 hundred for the West Indies.
Afterwards, Coach Phil Simmons pushed back on assertions that Smith was being victimized. The burly allrounder conceded four runs in the one over he bowled in the second T20 and dropped for the next match. He has also scored useful runs batting at number 10 but according to Phil Simmons, players are selected in the best interest of the team.
“We need to stop this foolishness that we are going on with. We sit here and look at the best team for the day and if Odean was not in the best team for the day it was because we thought Rovman Powell was better suited,” Simmons said afterwards while speaking with the media.
Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies has described the claims as being unsubstantiated and mischievous as it moved to head off any fallout.
In a statement released late Thursday, CWI said it was aware that “voice notes were circulated on social media, and in sections of the regional broadcast media, suggesting that there is a rift within the West Indies Senior Men’s team.
“Contrary to the unsubstantiated statements, containing unfounded and mischievous allegations, CWI is satisfied that there is no discord between the team captain and any member of the West Indies team.”
CWI President Ricky Skerritt indicated that the rumours represent an unwarranted attack on Captain Kieron Pollard.
“I view this as a malicious attack on the credibility of the West Indies captain, designed to sow division within our team that has just recorded three very impressive T20I performances against very strong opponents, including two outstanding wins and one heroic comeback to get within one run of victory,” Skerritt said.
“This clear attempt by well-known mischief makers to discredit the captain and to derail the team’s momentum in the ongoing Betway T20I Series should not be tolerated or encouraged.”
