Following exactly a two-year wait, the return of international cricket to Bengaluru proved to be far from ideal as the fifth and final T20 match of the series between India and West Indies was completely washed out due to persistent rain. Inclement weather and heavy showers heavily disrupted the proceedings, causing a delayed start of more than two hours past the scheduled time. 4 overs. However, before the Indian innings could reach its completion, heavy downpours returned, leaving no choice but to call off the match with no result. Consequently, the highly competitive series ended in a 2-2 stalemate.
Match Timeline and Bengaluru Weather History
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was set to host the fifth and deciding T20 match between India and West Indies on Saturday, October 17. Exactly two years prior to this date, the previous international fixture had commenced at the very same venue when India played their opening Test match against New Zealand, while rain had intervened on that day as well, and upon resumption, the Indian team was bowled out for a mere 45 runs. While weather disruptions marked the beginning once again this time, India batted first, but the script panned out in a completely different and explosive manner.
Explosive Batting Display by Ishan and Naman
Opting to bat first, the Indian opening pair stepped onto the field, but opener Abhishek Sharma fell early in the very first over after dispatching a maximum for six. However, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan turned the tables completely in the second over, tearing through the opposition bowling attack. He accumulated a massive 24 runs from that single over alone, including 2 boundaries and 2 towering sixes. Ishan played a brilliant knock of 30 runs from 10 balls before his dismissal. Following his departure, Sanju Samson stepped in to score 16 runs, aggressively accelerating the run rate as India crossed the 50-run mark in a mere 17 balls. After a relatively cautious start, captain Shreyas Iyer also found his timing, picking up crucial boundaries during his 22-run knock.
Naman Dheer Onslaught and Rain Intervention
Following the dismissal of captain Shreyas Iyer, incoming batter Naman Dheer completely lit up the stadium with his fearless stroke-play. The dynamic youngster smashed 2 sixes and 1 boundary off his very first 3 deliveries in international colors. Capitalizing on this momentum, Naman played an explosive cameo of 24 runs from just 6 deliveries. 4 overs, translating to 46 legitimate deliveries. Just as Tilak Varma was dismissed, heavy rain returned with renewed intensity, forcing all players to rush back into the dressing rooms, while with weather conditions failing to improve, play couldn't resume, leading to the official abandonment of the fixture.
Missed Opportunity for Series Victory
Due to this unfortunate washout, the multi-match series concluded in a 2-2 draw, slipping the opportunity to claim the series trophy right out of Team India's hands. Meanwhile, the visiting West Indies side also squandered a golden opportunity to secure their first bilateral series victory on Indian soil since 2002. Nevertheless, this marked a notable milestone as it was the first time ever that West Indies avoided a T20 series defeat on Indian turf, given that India had triumphed in all three of their previous bilateral T20 encounters.