Rain washes out India-West Indies T20I decider at Chinnaswamy, series ends 2-2 draw

International cricket returned to the Chinnaswamy after close to two years. But it turned out to be a disappointing comeback for the venue as the fifth and final T20I between India and the West Indies was abandoned after 7.4 overs of play.

The series thus ended 2-2.

Due to rain and wet outfield, the game began more than two hours after its scheduled start and was reduced to a nine-overs-a-side contest.

India, put into bat, were 118/5 before it started pouring again. The conditions didn’t get any better, as the game ended as a no-result.

Naman Dhir was batting on 24 off six balls, while Tilak Varma had perished off Shamar Springer in what also turned out to be the last ball before the showers returned.

The game also marked the return of senior quick Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who made the India playing XI after almost four years.

For India, Ishan Kishan (30 off 10 balls) was the top scorer in conditions that were not easy for the bowlers. The West Indies, who had levelled the series with a 24-run win in Hyderabad on Wednesday, bowled as many as 12 wides, allowing some easy runs for the Indians.

For captain Shreyas Iyer, this series was a “great learning” for his team. “We weren’t consistent throughout, but it was a great learning. Even today (Saturday), the way
we went about our batting was outstanding.

“It’s going to be a challenging series in New Zealand,” Shreyas said.