Rain washes out fifth T20 in Bengaluru, India-West Indies series drawn 2-2
The final T20 between India and West Indies at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was abandoned due to rain, leaving the five-match series level at 2-2.
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The fifth and final T20 match between India and West Indies was abandoned due to rain. The match was being played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Rain had arrived even before the start of play, and the five-match series ended level at 2-2.
The rain caused a delay of about two and a half hours, after which the match resumed. The umpires, assessing the weather forecast, fixed a nine-over match for each side. West Indies won the toss, chose to bowl first and invited India to bat. Only 7.4 overs of India's innings had been bowled when rain returned and play was halted. The match was eventually abandoned.
The outcome of the series depended on the fifth match in Bengaluru. But as the match could not be played because of rain, the dream of both India and West Indies of winning the series remained unfulfilled. Both teams performed well in the series.
In an interview after the match was abandoned, India captain Shreyas Iyer praised the Indian batters. He also praised the opposing captain, Shai Hope. However, he expressed disappointment over the bowling. He said, "If we had bowled well in the second and fourth T20 matches, the result would have been completely different. The batting has been excellent throughout the series. We just could not find our rhythm, and that is where we fell a little short."
The first match of the series was played at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. West Indies batted first and set a target of 172. India completed the chase in 14.4 overs and won by eight wickets.
In the second match in Ranchi, India batted first and scored 249. In reply, West Indies won by six wickets on the strength of a fast century from Shai Hope.
The third match, in Indore, was a run feast. India batted first and set a target of 224. West Indies could manage only 209 in 20 overs, and India won by 14 runs.
In the fourth match, West Indies made a strong comeback. Batting first, they scored 247. In reply, India were all out for 223, and West Indies won by 24 runs. The fifth match ended without a result because of rain, and the series finished level at 2-2.
