Rampaging Windies post 245/6 against India

A hapless Indian bowlers were mercilessly hammered for a record 21 sixes as the West Indies posted the third highest ever T20 International innings score of 245 for 6 in a sensational batting display by the Caribbeans in the first of the two Twenty20 match here today.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to insert the opposition in backfired as the West Indies batsmen rained 13 fours and 21 sixes on a flat pitch at Lauderhill ground. None of the Indian bowlers came out unscathed as they were butchered by the batting pyrotechnics of the world champions.
The earlier highest number of sixes in an innings was 19 hit by Netherlands against Ireland in 2014.

Today's 245 for 6 was the third highest innings total behind 260/6 scored by Sri Lanka against Kenya in 2007 and 248/6 by Australia against England in 2013. This was the highest ever T20 International score against India by any team, surpassing the 219 for 4 by South Africa in Johannesburg in March 2012.
Rookie opener Evin Lewis, playing in his only second T20 International, hit 100 (49 balls; 5x4, 9x6) and shared 126 runs for the first wicket from a mere 9.3 overs with Johnson Charles (79 of 33 balls; 6x4, 7x6) led the mauling of Indian bowlers.
Lewis also hit the fifth fastest hundred as he reached the milestone in just 48 balls.

At one time, it looked like the West Indians would run away with the highest ever T20 International score as they reached 199 for 1 at the end of 15 overs but India made fine a comeback in the final five overs, conceding just 46 runs and taking five wickets in the process.

Except for Ravichandran Ashwin (0/36), all the other five bowlers went for more than 10 runs an over. Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah got two wickets each while conceding 39 (from 3 overs) and 47 runs (from 4 overs) respectively.
The beginning was ominous for India as Mohammed Shami gave away 17 runs in the first over itself with Charles smashing him for a six and two boundaries. Shami was taken off and Bumrah was introduced in the third over.

The West Indies continued to score at a brisk pace with Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceding 20 runs in his first two overs. Bumrah was also taken to task with Lewis hoisting him for two sixes and a four to amass 18 runs from the fifth over.
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Ashwin, the best Indian bowler in the Test series against the West Indians, looked like he will stem the flow of fours and sixes but he was also smashed with two maximum hits by Charles who reached to his fifty from just 20 balls with the help of five fours and four sixes.

The raining of fours and sixes went unabated with yet another Indian bowler, Jadeja was taken to the cleaners with Lewis pummelling him for two sixes as the Windies reached to their 100 in 7.5 overs at a rate of over 13 an over.
In the 10th over, India got their first breakthrough with Shami removing Charles of a yorker-length delivery on off stump. Charles looked to get across and play a lap sweep but missed it completely as the stumps were disturbed.
The West Indies were still placed at a commanding position at 132 for one at the halfway mark.

Binny, who was introduced in the 11th over, was hit for five sixes by Lewis for a total of 32 runs, narrowly escaping the ignominy of giving away six sixes in an over.
Ashwin bowled the best over of the innings by giving away just four runs in the 12th over.
Two wickets in the 16th over off the bowling of Jadeja put the brakes on the West Indian innings and for the first time the Indians could pose some sort of trouble for their rampaging opponents.
Jadeja accounted for Andre Russell (22 of 12 balls) winning an LBW shout and then dismissed dangerous Lewis, with Ashwin taking an excellent catch running backwards from cover.

Three West Indies wickets fell in the final over with captain Carlos Brathwaite (14) was run out by Bumrah himself before scalping Kieron Pollard (22) and Lendl Simmons (0) in consecutive balls.