What does a highlights package of a cricket game contain, boundaries and wickets prominently? So, when probably every ball in the live match is resulting in a boundary or a wicket, how do you differentiate the two from each other? It became difficult for the fans of the game and the experts, so lets' go through it once again and relive what really happened.
Chasing 132, West Indies had a flying start to their innings as the openers Evin Lewis and Lendl Simmons blasted their way to 48 runs in just 3 overs. It looked as if the West Indian side was in a hurry to finish the game. However, what unfolded after that, no one would have even imagined.
After going for just eight runs in his first over, the off-spinner Akila Dananjaya returns to bowl the second over of his spell. The first ball, shorter in length, Lewis swivels and pulls it for a four on the leg side. The next one, a little fuller, Lewis doesn't get the timing right and straight into the hands of the long-off fielder. In comes, the Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, and he is trapped in front on the first ball. The umpire gave it not out, but the Sri Lankan side was confident and why not, it was plumb. Dananjaya has two in two and West Indies are suddenly 52/2.
.
Next in, vice-captain Nicholas Pooran. Fuller ball, outside the off-stump, Pooran looked to drive through covers, however, he could get that only as far as Niroshan Dickwell's gloves. The whole Sri Lankan camp was in jubilation as Dananjaya is unstoppable as he became only the third Sri Lankan bowler to take a hat-trick in T20Is.
Skipper Kieron Pollard rotated the strike and Simmons hit the boundary off the last ball. WI were now 57/3.
Next over, Wanindu Hasaranga came on to bowl, Pollard was a little sedate takes two balls, get a single on the third. Simmons again hits a boundary, the next ball is a dot and Hasaranga gets a breakthrough on the last ball as Simmons is given LBW out. WI were now 62/4.
The run rate was now the issue, the number of wickets was. But, Pollard didn't care as he shouldn't have.
Dananjaya comes on to bowl, first ball, full, Pollard mistimes it towards cow corner but gets to enough across the boundary. The second one, another full and much straighter, Pollard too goes straight and fast and long. The next ball, full outside the off-stump and another six, this time over long-off.
A little shorter this time, Pollard bent on one knee and belted it away on the leg-side, another six. Again a much shorter delivery and Pollard hit in time for another six. Five sixes and five balls and Dananjaya and his captain were in a huge discussion. He decided to come from round the wicket and the same result, much flatter but a six is a six.
.
Pollard joined the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Herschelle Gibbs as he became the third batsman to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket. Pollard gave a little bow down to his teammates in the dugout after that spectacular show. And, if anyone thought the match was over, they were in for a surprise as in the next over, Hasaranga too added a couple of numbers to his wicket column.
He first got rid of dangerous Pollard and on the very next delivery, he sent Fabian Allen back as West Indies were now 101/6.
Who would have thought at 48/0 in 3 overs would change to 101/6 in 7 overs and so much would have happened.
West Indies eventually won the game, without losing any more wickets as they won the first game of the three-match series by 4 wickets.
