Mumbai: Anything can happen in T20 cricket, but if South Africa play true to the form they displayed in Sunday’s big win over India, they should be runaway toppers of Group 1 in Super 8 in the T20 World Cup. That would leave West Indies and India to fight for the second semi-final spot.
There is a big chance then that the India-West Indies Super 8 encounter at Eden Gardens on March 1 will be a virtual knockout.
Given the brilliant display West Indies batters produced against Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday evening, the home team supporters will have genuine concerns about the challenge their side faces going ahead.
Led by Shimron Hetmyer’s dazzling display, West Indies amassed 254/6 and then bowled out Zimbabwe for 147 in 17.4 overs, winning by a massive 107 runs that sent out a warning to their rivals.
It was a stunning show of big-hitting from the Caribbean showstoppers, smashing 19 sixes apart from 16 fours.
The left-handed Hetmyer made the most of two chances he was gifted, treating the 20,000-strong crowd to some scintillating strokeplay on way to a 34-ball 85, which included seven sixes.
Zimbabwe had a poor day in the field as well. They were left to rue their dropping Hetmyer on nine and 70, Tashinga Musekiwa being the culprit both times.
The West Indies stroke players sure love the true bounce at Wankhede. It was seen in the two games they played in the group stages here, scoring 196/6 versus England and winning by nine wickets inside 16 overs against Nepal.
“We as Caribbean boys like Wankhede. It is a place we have confidence,” said Rovman Powell, who hammered a 35-ball 59 and shared a 122-run partnership for the third wicket with Hetmyer.
While West Indies had played two of their league games at the venue, the Zimbabweans faced the challenge of adjusting to the pitch and conditions here, having played all their group stage games in Sri Lanka.
In Sri Lanka, more than the bowlers, conditions are the challenge. A slow, sluggish playing surface makes average bowling also effective. Faced with the true bounce of the Wankhede turf, there was no hiding place for Zimbabwe.
Except for the Powerplay overs, Sikandar Raza and teammates were clueless on how to stop the Caribbean power-hitters.
Pasting the bowlers all over the small ground, West Indies hit 19 sixes in all – joint most in a men’s T20 World Cup innings. Overall, in the tournament, West Indies have hit a six every 10.4 deliveries.
Zimbabwe’s two tall fast bowlers, Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava, had started well, giving away just seven runs in the first two overs. At the end of the Powerplay, West Indies were 55/2.
But once spin was introduced, Hetmyer went berserk. First leg-spinner Graeme Cremer was plundered for 17 runs in the seventh over and the next over by off-spinner Sikandar Raza was taken for 20 runs.
The way he took down the Zimbabwe captain Raza was a lesson for India’s left-handed batters, who have struggled against off-spin. Raza’s second over went for 17 runs. After two overs, the captain’s bowling figures read 2-0-37-0. Hetmyer had powered West Indies to 115/2 after 10 overs, batting on 69 from 25b with six sixes and fours each.
In contrast, West Indies spinners Akeal Hosein opened the bowling and sent down a fine three-over spell for 2/21. When fellow left-arm spinner, Gudakesh Motie, replaced Hosein to bowl the seventh over, he also made a fine start, clean bowling the set Dion Myers with a ripping delivery for 28 (15b 3×4 2×6).
After 10 overs, Zimbabwe had reached 87/4. They needed 168 off the last 10 overs with six wickets in hand. By the end of the 13th over, Motie had reduced Zimbabwe to 101/7, running through the middle-order with figures of 4-1-28-4.
