BENGALURU: The Sri Lankans are known to be good players of spin. But on a warm Sunday night, West Indies tweakers Samuel Badree (3-12) and Sulieman Benn (0-13) had the defending champions in knots on a batting-friendly track at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.
Put to bat, the Sri Lankans were given a decent start by Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal but it was all bluff and bluster as they came under the heavy spell of spin with the duo sticking to a good length and bowling outside off stump. After being reduced to 475, they scraped to 122-9, a target which was overhauled by Darren Sammy's men in 18.2 overs for a comfortable seven-wicket victory .
The loudest cheers in the house was reserved for
Chris Gayle, but in a huge anti-climax the Jamaican superstar left the field a little before the half way mark of the Sri Lankan innings with left hamstring cramps. Gayle fans who came in thousands kept up the “We want Gayle,“ chant throughout West Indies chase but it was not to be. Since Gayle had left the field earlier on, he could not come out to bat until he had completed the time spent off the field or West Indies were five wickets down, a situation which did not arise, although the crowd fervently wished for it and Gayle padded up.
The West Indians were always in control of the proceedings. In the absence of Gayle, opener
Andre Fletcher, who came in for Jerome Taylor, entertained the crowd with some lusty shots all around the park en route to an unbeaten 64-ball 84. The Man of the Match who struck six hits to the rope and five over it ensured the victory runs came with a six.