"Unreal downfall" - Twitterati react after West Indies' 35-run loss to Zimbabwe in ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023
West Indies suffered their maiden defeat in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023 as they lost by 35 runs against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
The two nations locked horns in the 13th match of the tournament. West Indies won the toss and elected to field first. Zimbabwe managed to post a decent 268-run total, thanks to fine half-centuries from Sikandar Raza (68) and Ryan Burl (50).
Keemo Paul was the pick of the bowlers, bagging three wickets. In reply, the Shai Hope-led side came up with a disappointing performance, getting bundled out for 233.
Kyle Mayers and Roston Chase were the top performers with the bat for the side, scoring 56 and 44, respectively. Tendai Chatara picked up three wickets, while Sikandar Raza, Richard Ngarava, and Blessing Muzarabani took two wickets each.
Following the match, many fans took to social media, trolling the two-time ODI World Cup winners for the loss. Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter:
With two wins from three games, West Indies are currently placed third in Group A. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, are the table toppers with a three-match winning streak.
"If we had 260 to chase before the game started, we would have happily taken that" - West Indies captain Shai Hope
Speaking at the post-match presentation, West Indies skipper Shai Hope expressed his disappointment over the team's performance against Zimbabwe.
He pointed out that dropped catches by his team ultimately proved very costly for them, stating:
"To be honest, too much is in my mind right now. Certainly a lot of disappointment. We let ourselves down in the field. If we had to chase around 260, we would have taken that as a batting group. We know what we did in this game. We have to come hard on Monday, and no excuses. Catches let us down, plain and simple. And then with the bat, if we had 260 to chase before the game started, we would have happily taken that.
Shai Hope and Co. will next be seen in action on Monday, June 26, when they take on the Netherlands at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare. The Caribbean side has already qualified for the next stage of the tournament. Hence, they still have a chance to redeem themselves.