Sri Lanka vs West Indies 2020: Andre Russell helps West Indies win series 2-0
Scorecard:
Sri Lanka: 155-6 (20 overs)
Dasun Shanaka 31(24), Angelo Mathews 23 (22); Fabian Allen 2/24
West Indies: 158-3 (17 overs)
Brandon King 43 (21), Shimron Hetmyer 43 (42); Dasun Shanaka 1/10
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West Indies were able to easily chase down the target set by Sri Lanka thanks to a whirlwind inning from Andre Russell. This meant that West Indies took the T20I series 2-0 after being whitewashed in the ODIs.
Chasing 156 runs to win, Sri Lanka got a glimmer of hope when they got Lendl Simmons out early. But fellow opener Brandon King showed exactly why he is rated so highly. His quick-fire 43 gave West Indies a solid platform to build on.
Shimron Hetmyer also played a patient knock of a run-a-ball 43 and remained unbeaten at the end. But the star of the show was Andre Russell. The big Jamaican scored 40* off just 14 balls and helped West Indies coast to victory by seven wickets and with three overs to spare.
Earlier, West Indies put Sri Lanka in to bat in order to restrict them to as low a target as possible. Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando tried to give Sri Lanka a brisk start but they kept on losing wickets at regular intervals.
Angelo Mathews was then joined by Dasun Shanaka and the duo tried their best to take Sri Lanka towards a total in excess of 160. Mathews' wicket meant that West Indies had pulled things back nicely. However, some late hitting from Thisara Perera ensured that Sri Lanka had 155-6 on the board, giving their bowlers something to bowl at.
Brandon King's quickfire 43
West Indies needed to chase 156 runs to win and had lost the wicket of Simmons early. This was the time when Sri Lankan players were smelling blood and were trying to get another wicket. However, King played his natural game and started to counter-attack the bowlers.
King along with Hetmyer brought the West Indies innings back on track. King scored 43 off just 21 balls which included 6 fours and 2 sixes. His innings made sure that the required run-rate was always in check and that the West Indies need not take any more risk.
Andre Russell's blazing 40*
When Russell came in to bat, West Indies needed 53 runs from 44 balls and had a set batsman in the form of Hetmyer still at the crease.
Russell took a few deliveries to get in and then began to pepper the boundary with his might. He scored 40 off just 14 balls which included 6 huge sixes. Had the target been a bit more, Russell was in such a mood that West Indies would have won comfortably.
Russell played a blinder towards the end of the West Indies' inning and turned the game completely in West Indies' favour. Thus he was adjudged as the player of the match and also the player of the series, thus marking his comeback to international cricket in some style.
These were his thoughts after the game -
It's good to know that (on informing that he's the first player to hit six sixes to reach the score of 40). I was trying to get the runs. It was a good team display. I am happy. We are kicking at the right time, still have some areas to work though. We have a good one-day side as well. But losing that first game and even the second didn't go our way, finally the series, it was disappointing. I have a fantastic team here. We are from the Caribbean, so we get along well. I really appreciate everything.