While Bravo leads Windies in ODIs, Sammy leads them in T20s and Tests …… and they hunt like a pair. Against Australia it was 53 off 21 balls ~ and they claimed that it was achievable because of the IPL experience !! ~ and probably the pre-match talk also made them achieve near impossible task. Bravo played down the possibility of any ill feeling off the field and stressed that leagues like the IPL and Big Bash have eased tensions. At the hotel, we see each other, meet each other and have a quick chat. We may not be best of friends or go out for dinner, but we play together. With all these leagues in the world, you end up developing a better relationship. Look at India-West Indies games, it’s like one country playing.”
The match was very significant – both knew that a defeat could enable their traveling back home early….. Aussies won the toss, played well and made 178/8. Indians know James Faulkner too well, not only for his IPL stint …. – not so long ago, in India 44 were needed off 18, and India seemed to have the match well within their grasp. Ishant Sharma bowled that fateful over at Mohali ….to Faulkner … 4;6;6;2;6;6 … Faulkner’s 50 and suddenly the match was well in Aussie hands – what not, when someone leaks 30 in an over….
The man James Faulkner, was fined for screaming an obscenity at Calypso cool cat Chris Gayle admits he doesn’t like the West Indies team. They felt that upset the team and their performance will only go down. It was reported by a section of the Press that the potential sledging barrage from the 23-year-old all-rounder, who was set to play his comeback game from knee surgery, will add extra spice to what is almost certainly a knockout game for Australia. Aussies have displayed their arrogance time and again and Faulkner was quoted as saying “There’s a few players I would like to knock over and more importantly I’d like to beat them. I’m looking forward to it.”
Australia's batsmen were made to look like one-trick ponies in the 18th over of their World Twenty20 clash against Pakistan, only putting bat to ball once in a fine over delivered by Saeed Ajmal when the required run rate had reached double figures and they lost that match. Faulkner believing his batting or allround skills is acceptable ~ but to think that he can easily rattle opponents with sledging …. ! .. perhaps may not have matured still to learn ..
On that day, he had the opportunity of bowling the ultimate over – 12 required … Darren Sammy with 22 of 9 balls and Bravo at 27 off 12 were at the crease ~ as the great drama unfolded…. !! The first ball was padded away; 2nd was dug out …. Bailey was happy – 2 balls no runs – and now the equation is 12 off 4… 3rd was a full toss and Sammy cleared long-off easily….. and of the 4th Sammy hit another powerful straight six sealing the game… and started celebrating even before the ball passed over the boundary… Gayle was also celebrating.. last time after winning the WC, Pollard, Gayle, Russel,Sammy, Bravos, Charles and more were dancing in the outfield – it was all gangnam style.
"We have not won the tournament, its just a game against Australiabut we were pumped up for this," said Darren Sammy, the Man of the Match. It was really nice to see Faulkner bowling the last over. A lot of things were said before this match and you never wake up a sleeping lion [Chris Gayle]. It was remarkable hitting by Sammy that ejected Aussies out….
A little earlier, 31 were required of final 2 overs. Starc was hit all over the park conceding 19 runs making it 12 off the last. Sammy was on strike- he played two dot balls, still won with two left. This was West Indies' highest successful chase in T20Is, beating the 170 they chased against the same opposition at the Oval in the 2009 World T20.
Australia were shattered by the loss, which left them winless from their first two games. Now they have lost so badly to India too…earlier Gayle provided the perfect start hitting 4 fours of Starc and hitting a 6 of Doug Bollinger, taking 40 off his first 14 deliveries. Those two final overs were fatal to Australia who were made to lick their wounds.
West Indies love dancing ‘Gangnam Style’ and the party animals were provided the right platform by the loud-mouthed Team. After slaughtering two sixers of Faulkner, Sammy reportedly said … “Talk is cheap,” ; “Cricket is a game of action. You can talk all you want but it is the action that matters. West Indies acted today. It feels very good to bring it home. Bailey refused to lay the blame for Australia’s probable tournament exit squarely at the feet of the bowlers, saying the batting and fielding was also not up to scratch.
The ball flew out of the middle of Darren Sammy's bat and cleared the sightscreen, Sammy, wasn't concerned about where it went or landed, - and you had threesome Sammy Bravo Gayle dancing…
…. Will we see Calypso Kings dancing more !!
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
31st Mar 2014.