Twitter Reactions: West Indies defeat sloppy India to level the series

West Indies have defeated India by eight wickets in the second T20I of the three-match series. The Caribbeans were exceptional on the day both with the bat and ball and deserved to win the game. India, on the other hand, were extremely sloppy in the field. They dropped the catches early on reprieve Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis and it cost them the game eventually.

Defending 171, India started off well with the ball. They should’ve sent back both the West Indies openers, but poor fielding let the opening stand grow up to 73 runs by the 10th over. Lewis scored 40 runs before getting out and then Simmons took control of the game playing some gorgeous shots coupled with power.

None of the Indian bowlers was spared as dew also played its part. Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran also batted superbly which allowed Simmons to play his game and ensure that there were no hiccups in the chase. West Indies gunned down the total in the 19th over itself as Pooran finished the match with a boundary.

While Simmons remained unbeaten on 67, the left-handed Pooran smashed 38 off just 18 runs. Hetmyer also scored an enterprising 23 before Virat Kohli took a stunner at long-on to send him back.

Shivam Dube shines with the bat for India

While the focus was on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli when India came out to bat, Shivam Dube hogged the limelight. He was surprisingly promoted to number three after KL Rahul fell early and the move worked wonders. The southpaw struggled to force the issue early on and at one stage, was on 12 off 14 deliveries. But a heated moment with Kieron Pollard sparked the brilliance in him.

He smacked the West Indies skipper for three sixes in a single over and also went on to register his maiden T20I half-century. Dube scored 54 runs off just 30 deliveries with three fours and four sixes before getting out. By the time, he was dismissed, India were going along nicely. But then the rest of the batsmen struggled to up the ante.

Rishabh Pant looked impressive during 33-run knock. However, he got out at the wrong time and India could muster only 20 runs in the last three overs of the innings. West Indies bowlers varied the pace well and restricted the home side to 170 runs for the loss of seven wickets after 20 overs. And the last three overs eventually made the difference as the Caribbeans chased down the total comfortably to level the series.

Here’s how Twitter reacted: