WI vs IND 2022: Hits and flops as West Indies defeat India to level the series at 1-1

A last-over thriller saw West Indies beat India by five wickets in the second T20I at Warner Park, St. Kitts, on Monday (August 1). With this win, the Caribbean unit have leveled the five-match series at 1-1.

After being put in to bat first, India got off to the worst possible start when they lost skipper Rohit Sharma on the very first delivery. Obed McCoy (6/17) led the West Indian bowling unit effectively, inflicting dismissals at regular intervals.

A few Indian batters contributed with cameos but none of them batted through the innings, resulting in them getting bundled out for 138. Hardik Pandya top-scored for the Men in Blue, scoring 31 off as many balls.

In response, West Indian opener Brandon King scored a fifty at the top of the order and provided his side with a steady start with Kyle Mayers. However, as the game progressed, the Indian bowlers chipped in with wickets.

Despite some terrific death bowling displays by Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, the tourists took the match to the end. However, the total didn't prove to be enough as Devon Thomas smashed Avesh Khan for a six and a four to take West Indies home with four balls remaining.

With this victory, West Indies have registered their first win against India in T20Is in the last three years. The triumph will boost the morale of the hosts and will spice up the rest of the series as well.

On that note, here are the hits and flops from the second T20I between West Indies and India.

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#4. Flop - Avesh Khan (India)

While he is still in the early days of his career, Avesh Khan is yet to make an impact in the blues of India. Considering the extra bounce on the wicket, India brought in the tall pacer for leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi for the second T20I.

However, the Madhya Pradesh pacer failed to impress and proved expensive in his 2.2 overs. Avesh strayed from his strength of hitting hard lengths and bowled several loose deliveries.

Leaking runs at 13.3 RPO, Avesh gave away 31, while even delivering a no-ball, which shifted the match in West Indies' favor in the last over. However, Avesh did pick up a wicket when he bowled a steaming yorker to get the better of Brandon King in the 16th over.

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#3. Hit - Brandon King (West Indies)

West Indian opener Brandon King was his team's best batter on display in the second T20I. King missed the previous encounter. He, however, made up for it by playing a match-winning knock in a low-scoring game.

From the onset, King looked dangerous as he smashed the very first delivery off Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the boundary. The right-hander didn't let any Indian bowler settle and clobbered eight fours and two sixes en route to his 52-ball 68.

Had King remained unbeaten at one end, the match could've been over with two or more overs to spare.

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#2. Flop - Shreyas Iyer (India)

Shreyas Iyer's woes against short-pitched deliveries continued as he once again fell prey to a rising ball on Monday. Coming in at number three, Iyer would've liked to resurrect the tumbling Indian innings.

However, West Indies tested Iyer's vulnerability against the short ball as the Indian batter was back in the hut in the fifth over.

West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph banged a wide outside-off delivery which generated extra bounce off the surface. Iyer attempted to blindly slog the ball away from his body and couldn't handle his stroke. Nicking the edge to the keeper, Iyer was out on 10 off 11 balls, leaving India in dire straits at 40 for 3.

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#1. Hit - Obed McCoy (West Indies)

India's Achilles heel against left-arm pace was once again laid bare as Obed McCoy ran through the visitors' batting unit.

McCoy almost single-handedly knelt India down in the game, dismissing more than half of India's batting line-up. The left-armer used a hint of swing and extra bounce on offer with the new ball and sent the two Indian openers in Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav back to the pavilion.

The 25-year-old picked up at least one wicket in every over he bowled, scalping six in total. McCoy's figures of 6 for 17 is now the best T20I figures for any West Indian bowler.

It was a dream game for McCoy, whose sheer brilliance won him the Player of the Match award as well.