For the first time ever, Team India is playing in the United States of America (USA). The land of opportunities, as the US is called, provides both India and West Indies an opportunity to settle scores with each other. West Indies ousted India from the World T20 earlier this year. India, in return, thrashed West Indies in Test series recently.
LIVE UPDATES | INDIA vs WEST INDIES | 1ST T20 | FLORIDA, USA
FULL SCORECARD
19.6 Bravo to Dhoni: WICKET! Dhoni is out and India lose this match by 1 run.
19.5 Bravo to Dhoni: TWO runs. India need 2 runs from 1 ball.
19.4 Bravo to Rahul: ONE run.
19.3 Bravo to Dhoni: ONE run.
19.2 Bravo to Rahul: ONE run.
19.1 Bravo to Dhoni: DROPPED! Samuels spills a sitter. Bravo is angry. India need 7 from 5.
OVER 19: 16 runs from the over. India 238/3 (8 runs required from 6 balls)
18.4 Russell to Rahul: FOUR! Backs away and powers it over cover.
18.3 Russell to Rahul: SIX! and that gives Rahul his maiden T20I century. This is second fastest century in T20I cricket.
OVER 18: Superb bowling by Bravo. Just 9 runs from it. India 222/3 (24 runs required from 12 balls).
17.1 Bravo to Dhoni: FOUR! Full toss on leg, Dhoni eases it to boundary.
OVER 17: Excellent over for India. 20 runs from it. India 213/3 (33 runs required from 18 balls).
16.6 Russell to Rahul: SIX! Length ball, Rahul slogs it over long-on.
16.4 Russell to Dhoni: SIX! Walks across and slogs it over mid-wicket.
16.2 Russell to Dhoni: SIX! Typical Dhoni. Bludgeoned it over long-on.
OVER 16: 11 runs from the over. India 193/3 (53 runs required from 24 balls).
15.4 Pollard to Rahul: FOUR! Short outside off, Rahul plays late and between thirdman and point.
OVER 15: Rahul is driving the scorecard single-handedly. 14 runs from the over. India 182/3 (64 runs required from 30 balls).
14.6 Brathwaite to Rahul: FOUR! Excellent cover drive.
14.5 Brathwaite to Rahul: Yorker injures Rahul. But not very serious.
14.1 Brathwaite to Rahul: SIX! Superb shot. Slashed the over pitched delivery over thirdman.
OVER 14: Good over for India. Rahul is leading the chase. 18 runs from the over. India 168/3 (78 runs required from 36 balls). Rahul 69 (34b 9x4 2x6), Dhoni 12 (6b 1x4 0x6).
13.5 Narine to Rahul: FOUR! Full toss, Rahul slams it hard wide of long-off.
13.3 Narine to Rahul: FOUR! Switch hit to third man.
13.1 Narine to Rahul: SIX! Skips down the pitch and slams it wide of long-off.
OVER 13: Fine over for India. 12 runs from it. India 150/3 (96 runs required from 42 balls).
12.1 Brathwaite to Dhoni: FOUR! Short, Dhoni pulls it to empty square-leg boundary.
OVER 12: Successful over by Pollard. He gave just 7 runs and got an important wicket of Rohit. India 138/3 (108 runs required from 48 balls).
11.5 Pollard to Rohit: WICKET! Slower on leg, Rohit looks to clear the mid-wicket boundary but falls a little short and is caught at boundary. Rohit Sharma c Charles b Pollard 62 (28b 4x4 4x6).
11.2 Pollard to Rahul: FOUR! and that's fifty for Rahul.
OVER 11: Another good over for India. 15 runs from it. India 131/2 (115 runs required from 54 balls).
10.6 Bravo to Rohit: SIX! Full toss and Rohit dispatched it over mid-wicket.
10.1 Bravo to Rahul: FOUR! Perfectly bisected mid-wicket and long-on.
OVER 10: It could have been a good over for West Indies but some bad fielding spoiled it. 12 runs from the over. India 116/2 (130 runs required from 60 balls).
9.3 Pollard to Rohit: SIX! over long-on and that's half-century for Rohit.
OVER 9: Brathwaite bowls a good over. He almost got Rahul's wicket. Just 8 runs from the over. India 104/2 (142 runs required from 11 overs).
8.5 Brathwaite to Rahul: DROPPED! Russell dropped an easy catch at long-off.
8.3 Brathwaite to Rahul: FOUR!
OVER 8: Good over for India. Two massive hits by Rohit to get India 16 runs from Narine's over. India 96/2 (150 runs required from 12 overs).
7.4 Narine to Rohit: SIX!
7.3 Narine to Rohit: SIX!
OVER 7: Brathwaite was bowling well but Rahul managed two boundaries on the last two balls to collect 13 runs from the over. India 80/2 (166 runs required from 13 overs).
6.6 Brathwaite to Rahul: FOUR!
6.5 Brathwaite to Rahul: FOUR!
OVER 6: Good start for Rahul. Hit Sunil Narine for a SIX and two FOURs in the over to collect 16 runs. India 67/2 (179 runs required from 14 overs).
5.5 Narine to Rahul: FOUR!
5.2 Narine to Rahul: SIX!
5.1 Narine to Rahul: FOUR!
OVER 5: Brilliant over by Bravo. He provided the biggest wicket. Kohli was important for India’s chase. West Indies are a lot safe now. India 51/2 (195 runs required from 15 overs).
4.4: WICKET! Bouncer, Kohli was a bit late on the pull. Wicketkeeper Fletcher takes a good catch down the leg. Big blow to India's chances. Virat Kohli c Fletcher b Bravo 16 (9b 3x4 0x6).
4.1: FOUR! Bravo bowls slow, Kohli waits and guides it to third-man.
OVER 4: Fine over for India. 11 runs from Badree's over. India 42/1 (204 runs required from 16 overs).
3.5: FOUR! Short, Kohli goes back and lofts it over mid-off.
3.2: FOUR! Super shot by Kohli. Just short and he hits it right between point fielders.
OVER 3: Successful over by Russell. West Indies get their first wicket. 12 runs from the over. India 31/1 (215 runs required from 17 overs).
2.6: WICKET! Short, Rahane plays the ramp shot to third-man but Bravo runs around 15-20 yards and put in a full-length dive to his left to take a stunning catch. Ajinkya Rahane c Bravo b Russell 7 (7b 1x4 0x6).
2.4: FOUR! Short on leg, Rohit helps it to boundary.
2.1: FOUR! Russell drifted down the leg and Rahane flicks it for his first boundary.
OVER 2: Good over for India. Rohit hits Badree for three boundaries. India 19/0 (227 runs required from 18 overs).
1.6: FOUR! Again, Rohit lofts the full pitched ball over mid-off fielder.
1.3: FOUR! Full, Rohit lofts it over mid-off fielder.
1.2: FOUR! Samuel Badree bowls short, Rohit makes room and slaps it hard to point boundary.
OVER 1: Fine over by Russell. Just 5 runs from it. India 5/0 (241 runs required from 19 overs).
Welcome back! Another change by India. Rahane comes out to open with Rohit. Russell has the ball. Let's play.
WEST INDIES INNINGS
OVER 20: 10 runs from Bumrah's final over. West Indies 245/6.
19.5: WICKET! Yorker and Lendl Simmons loses his stumps. Lendl Simmons b Bumrah 0 (1b 0x4 0x6).
19.4: WICKET! Pollard tries to scoop it through fine-leg but misses the ball. Bumrah's yorker dismantled his stumps. Kieron Pollard b Bumrah 22 (15b 0x4 2x6).
19.1: SIX! Bumrah bounced this one but Pollard muscled it over mid-wicket.
19.1: WICKET! It was a no-ball but Bumrah managed to run Brathwaite out in follow-through. Carlos Brathwaite run out 14 (10b 1x4 1x6). Free hit for West Indies.
OVER 19: Fine over by Bhuvi. 10 runs from it. West Indies 235/3.
18.4: SIX! Short, outside off. Pollard picked it well and pulled over the mid-wicket boundary.
OVER 18: Barring a NO BALL, it was a good over by Bumrah. 10 runs from it. West Indies 225/3.
17.2: FOUR! It was a FREE HIT. Bumrah bowls full toss outside off, Brathwaite slashes it over point fielder.
17.2: NO BALL! West Indies gets a FREE HIT.
OVER 17: Good over for India. 10 runs from it. West Indies 215/3.
16.3: SIX! Length ball by Shami, Brathwaite slogs it over mid-wicket. Too easy.
OVER 16: Excellent over by Jadeja. He got two wickets in it and gave just 6 runs. West Indies 205/3.
15.5: WICKET! Another one for Jadeja. Lewis' innings gets over. Wasn't a great ball but Lewis mistimed it. Fine running catch by Ashwin. Evin Lewis c Ashwin b Jadeja 100 (49b 5x4 9x6).
15.3: WICKET! Jadeja finally has something to take back. He dismisses Russell. Bowled at good length and it turned a bit. Andre Russell lbw b Jadeja 22 (12b 1x4 2x6).
15.1: CENTURY! Evin Lewis dabs towards point and runs hard to complete his maiden T20I century. He took just 48 balls.
OVER 15: Good comeback by Shami in the over. Didn't allow any big shot after the six. 10 runs from it. West Indies 199/1. Russell 18 (10b 0x4 2x6), Lewis 99 (47b 5x4 9x6).
14.2: SIX! Shami tried to york Russell but he picked it well and muscled it over mid-wicket.
OVER 14: Good over by Ashwin. Despite a six, just 8 runs from it. West Indies 189/1.
13.4: SIX! Slogged but Lewis was lucky there. It dropped just behind the boundary.
OVER 13: India back to expensive over. 13 runs from Bhuvneshwar's over. West Indies 181/1 (RR: 13.92). Russell 10 (5b 0x4 1x6), Lewis 90 (40b 5x4 8x6).
12.5: SIX! Length ball, Russell slogged it over mid-wicket.
12.3: FOUR! Low full toss, wide outside off. Lewis slashed it past point for a boundary.
Bhuvi back in attack.
OVER 12: Excellent over by Ashwin. First good over by an Indian bowler today. Just 4 runs from it. West Indies 168/1 (RR: 14.00). Lewis 85 (37b 4x4 8x6), Andre Russell 2 (2b 0x4 0x6).
OVER 11: 32 runs from Binny's over. West Indies 164/1.
10.6: Full toss it was but Lewis couldn't hit the sixth one.
10.5: SIX! Lewis walks up, Binny digs in short. Lewis hooks it over fine leg.
10.4: SIX! Short, outside off and Lewis belts it over cover.
10.3: SIX! Full toss and out of the park. Lewis is toying with Binny.
10.2: SIX! Too full but same result. Lewis has taken over from Charles. Brilliant batting.
10.1: SIX! Lewis welcomes Binny with a maximum over mid-wicket.
Dhoni brings Binny into attack.
OVER 10: Shami provides a wicket in the over. 11 runs came off it. West Indies 132/1.
9.5: FOUR! Full, yorker-length outside off, Lewis guides it behind deep-point fielder.
9.3: WICKET! Finally some relief for India. Mohammed Shami provides the breakthrough. Johnson Charles b Mohammed Shami 79 (33b 6x4 7x6) .
9.1: FOUR! Charles swings hard but the top edge flies over slips and to the third-man boundary.
OVER 9: Jadeja seems clueless. West Indies 121/0. Charles 79 (32b 6x4 7x6), Lewis 41 (22b 2x4 3x6).
8.6: SIX! Jadeja fires it in on length. Charles picks it well and hit it straight over the bowler’s head.
8.2: SIX! Over-pitched and Charles slogs it again.
8.1: FOUR! Length ball, Charles slogs it between deep midwicket and long-on.
OVER 8: 10 runs from Ashwin’s over. West Indies 101/0. Charles 60 (27b 5x4 5x6), Lewis 40 (21b 2x4 3x6)
7.2: SIX! Bowled up and Charles slogged it over long-on.
OVER 7: Indian bowlers don't have any effect on West Indies openers. 13 runs from it. West Indies 91/0.
6.2: SIX! Short again. Lewis hits it over long-on.
6.1: SIX! Short and Lewis pulls it over midwicket.
Now, Jadeja has the ball.
OVER 6: Bad bowling by Ashwin. Why is he trying leg-spin? 16 runs from it. West Indies 78/0.
5.5: SIX! Again leg-spin and similar result. Charles carves it between long-on and mid-wicket.
5.4: SIX! Ashwin bowls leg-spin and Charles hits it straight over his head.
Ashwin comes into attack.
OVER 5: Another expensive over for India. Bumrah gives 18 runs. West Indies 64/0.
4.4: SIX! Charles played it like baseball. Flat over mid-wicket.
4.2: FOUR! Lewis jabs this one over cover.
4.1: SIX! Lewis sends the first ball out of the park. Bowled full on off. Lewis cleared front leg and hit it over long-off.
OVER 4: Another good one for West Indies. 13 runs from Bhuvneshwar's over. West Indies 46/0.
3.5: FOUR! This time it was proper pull. It wasn't short but Charles managed to time it well.
3.4: FOUR! Half-scoop and half-pull. Charles gets another boundary for West Indies.
OVER 3: Expensive start for Bumrah. 9 runs from it. West Indies 33/0.
2.3: FOUR! Short and pulled to square-leg boundary by Lewis.
Jasprit Bumrah into attack.
OVER 2: Fine over by Bhuvi. 7 runs from it. West Indies 24/0.
1.4: FOUR! Charles looked to pull it to on side but the ball took the top edge and went to third-man boundary.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar to bowl the second over.
OVER 1: Expensive over by Shami. West Indies 17/0.
1.6: FOUR! Short and pulled left of the square-leg fielder by Charles.
1.2: FOUR! Bowled on middle-leg, Charles flicked it through mid-wicket.
1.1: SIX! Bowled up and Charles sends it over the long-on boundary.
1.1: WIDE! Shami starts with a wide down the leg.
National anthem is done. Team India in a huddle. Johnson Charles is walking out to open the batting with Ewin Lewis. We are set to take off. Shami has the ball.
PLAYING XIs
West Indies: J Charles, ADS Fletcher, E Lewis, MN Samuels, LMP Simmons, KA Pollard, AD Russell, DJ Bravo, CR Brathwaite, SP Narine, S Badree.
India: RG Sharma, KL Rahul, V Kohli, AM Rahane, MS Dhoni, STR Binny, R Ashwin, RA Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, JJ Bumrah, B Kumar.
Team Updates
Shikhar Dhawan is not playing today. Is he injured? KL Rahul has been slotted to open the batting with Rohit Sharma. Interesting!
Chris Gayle is injured, and won't be playing today, confirms West Indies skipper Carlos Brathwaite.
TOSS: Captain MS Dhoni has won the toss and he has decided to bowl first against West Indies.
Indian players have reached the ground:
Ravichandran Ashwin presents the pitch report:
Previous T20Is played in Lauderhill
- May 22, 2010: New Zealand 120/7 in 20 overs beat Sri Lanka 92 in 19.4 overs by 28 runs.
- May 23, 2010: Sri Lanka 82/3 in 15.3 overs beat New Zealand 81 in 17.3 overs by 7 wickets.
- June 30, 2012: West Indies 209/2 in 20 overs beat New Zealand 153 in 18.3 overs by 56 runs.
- July 1, 2012: West Indies 177/5 in 20 overs beat New Zealand 116 in 18.4 overs by 61 runs.
STATS
- In 2010, when Lauderhill hosted first international fixture between New Zealand and Sri Lanka (a two-match T20 series), it provided a slow tacky surface, which produced only one score of over 100 in two matches. But in 2012, when it hosted another two-match T20 series, there was more T20 entertainment as West Indies piled on 209 and 177 to beat New Zealand.
- During the six Caribbean Premier League (CPL) matches at Lauderhill, the first-innings scores ranged between 206 and 137. Three of the six matches were won by the sides batting first.
- Dwayne Bravo is just one wicket short of becoming only the third player to reach the double of 1000 runs and 50 wickets in T20Is. Shahid Afridi and Shakib Al Hasan await him at the club.
LIKELY PLAYING XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), Stuart Binny/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja/Amit Mishra, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami.
West Indies: Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, Carlos Brathwaite (capt.), Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree.
Captain MS Dhoni spoke to media ahead of 1st T20. Watch the video
SQUADS
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Stuart Binny, Umesh Yadav.
West Indies: Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Andre Fletcher, Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Johnson Charles, Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, Marlon Samuels, Samuel Badree, Sunil Narine.
PREVIEW
Cricket will seek to reach out to the untapped American market when the sport's most followed practitioners, India, lock horns with the West Indies in their maiden international game in the US.
The two Twenty20 Internationals over the weekend will be the first instance of India being involved in a competitive match in the USA.
Days after India cruised to victory in the four-match Test series for their second successive triumph on the Caribbean soil, the team's seasoned campaigner Mahendra Singh Dhoni will return to lead the side in the two limited overs games at the Central Broward Regional Park, the only purpose-built cricket stadium in the US.
It is the only ICC certified ODI standard stadium facility in the USA and hosted six Caribbean Premier League matches last month.
The 14-member Indian team will see the return of as many as 11 regular players who were rested from the tour to Zimbabwe in May earlier this year.
Dhoni, who retired from the longest format of the game in December 2014, is scheduled to play just seven more matches in 2016 -- two T20Is against the West Indies in USA and 5 ODIs against New Zealand in India.
Dhoni's last assignment was against Zimbabwe where he led a young Indian team, sans the stars, to victory in both the ODIs and T20I series in Harare in June.
The two-match series is going to be the first of what will develop into an annual event in the USA as part of efforts to reach out to new markets and audiences.
Even though India won the Test series 2-0, players from the Test squad are coming with hardly any recent match practice because of the rain-affected fourth Test in Port-of-Spain where the last four days didn't see any play.
Indian coach Anil Kumble was, however, still optimistic about a good performance in what will be his first assignment with Dhoni.
"This is the first time that I'll be working with MS, obviously we have played together over a long period of time and we had a chat yesterday and today as well," Kumble said.
"I'm really looking forward to working with him and the new set of boys like (Jasprit) Bumrah who's joined as well. I've worked with him in the IPL so it's nice to be a part of the India dressing room again," he added.
As far as the West Indies team is concerned, the focus will be on Carlos Brathwaite, who was elevated to captaincy in place of Darren Sammy.
They may be the reigning world champions in the format, having triumphed in India earlier this year, but that didn't save Sammy's job as skipper.
Brathwaite, on the other hand, etched his name into West Indies cricket folklore by smashing four sixes in the final over against England to win this year's World T20 final for his team in Mumbai.
"I think a team like this will be pretty easy to lead, from the point of view that the dressing room is a fun place to be," said Brathwaite.
"I don't think it's a case where I have to negotiate too many egos."
But despite his heroics in Mumbai, the 28-year-old Brathwaite is yet to become a force to reckon with when it comes to international experience, having played just three Tests, 14 ODIs and eight Twenty 20s.
India have no issues on the confidence front heading into the weekend.
They have enjoyed a solid run in the T20 series in recent times, winning in Australia, Sri Lanka and claiming the Asia Cup before recovering to beat Zimbabwe 2-1.
Twelve of the 14-man Test squad will be in Florida with Test skipper Virat Kohli handing over the leadership duties to Dhoni.
They will have revenge on their minds having lost to the West Indies in the semi-finals of this year's World Twenty20.
A crowd of 15,000 is expected in Florida over each of the two days including vast numbers of expatriates.