There was a fairy tale ending to a story that started two days ago. In the end the two lead characters were left with five minutes to make it epic and they did.Australian James Faulkner said leading up to the match that he did not like the West Indies. Skipper of the Caribbean side Darren Sammy then responded and said: "Let him talk, my side will let our bats do the talking."
In the end, Sammy slapped Faulkner for two sixes off successive balls in the final over of their ICC World Twenty20 (T20) clash in Dhaka, Bangladesh, last evening to give his side an unbelievable victory.
With 53 runs needed from 24 balls not many people gave the West Indies a chance. However this 'confident group' still believed and Sammy and Dwayne Bravo started sending balls into the stands much to the delight of the Bangladeshis, who were rooting for them. It came down to 12 runs needed from one over and Faulkner charged in from the Media End. His first two deliveries were spot on and resulted in no runs. The next one was struck over long off for six. With six runs needed from three balls the crowd started to chant: "Darren! Darren!". The St Lucian responded with a 'blockbuster' shot down the ground for six. He threw away his bat and charged at his players who ran out the dug out to greet their hero.
What happened over the next few minutes was truly amazing as the West Indian cricketers started to celebrate Gangnam-style, as they did when they won the last World T20 title in 2012. Chris Gayle engaged the crowd with the theme song for this tournament–'Char chakka hoi hoi, bol ghuraiya gelo koi' and they went crazy.Chasing 179 runs for victory the Windies looked out of it coming towards the end but Sammy ended with 34 runs from 13 balls and Bravo 27 from 12 balls to win the match.Gayle and Lendl Simmons had earlier created a sound platform after Dwayne Smith left for 17. The duo took the score to 101 before Gayle departed for 53 off 35 balls with six fours and two sixes. The giant left-hander started the ball rolling by striking Mitchell Starc for four successive boundaries in the second over of the innings. However, when he fell the Aussies fought right back and soon Simmons left for 26 off 24 balls to make matters worse.
A still out of touch Marlon Samuels came and went and it was left up to Sammy and Bravo and they added 49 runs from 19 balls to give the West Indies the win.
Earlier, Australia won the toss, decided to take first strike and Aaron Finch kept up to his pre-match threat to attack without caution. He went after everything, with the West Indians chasing leather in 40-degree heat. However with 33 runs on the board in the fourth over, he looked back to see the Led lights blinking on the ground courtesy Samuels. He contributed a cameo 16 off 11 balls with three fours.David Warner then followed eight runs later, as a leg-spinner from Samuel Badree failed to take flight and crashed into his furniture. He made 20 off 14 balls with four fours. Before he could have taken off his pads Watson joined him to discuss his dismissal–stumped by Ramdin off Sunil Narine for a 'duck'. The powerplay brought 41 runs with 21 balls being un-scored off, as Australia's batsmen seemed pre-occupied with 'big hits'.
Glenn Maxwell was in and the white ball started soaring into the Dhaka skyline. Some window washers close by would have been worried, as Maxwell looked brilliant in banging the ball all about the place. He creamed 45 off 22 balls with five boundaries and three sixes and the Aussies could have gotten many more than their eventual total had Badree not sent him back. In between skipper George Bailey fell for 12 and the Aussies were 100 for five, when Maxwell left.Enter James Faulkner and you could have seen the fire from the West Indian players. Leading into the game Faulkner had commented that he did not like the West Indians...this did not sit well with the men from the Caribbean.All rounder Andre Russell sent a full delivery towards his head, leaving one to think that it was definitely not the dew–but was it due? Faulkner and the veteran Brad Hodge posted 52 runs before the latter fell for a well compiled 35 off 26 balls, including two fours and a six. The big all rounder eventually fell to a freakish catch by Bravo for 13 and Haddin finished off the innings with a seven-ball 15. There were two wickets apiece for Narine (2/19), Badree (2/37) and Samuels 2/19.
WI vs Australia
Australia Inns
A Finch b Samuels 16
D Warner b Badree 20
S Watson st Ramdin b Narine 2
G Maxwell c Bravo b Badree 45
G Bailey c Sammy b Samuels 12
B Hodge b Narine 35
J Faulkner c Bravo b Santokie 13
B Haddin not out 15
M Starc c Russell b Bravo 4
J Muirhead not out 1
Extras b2, w7, nb6 15
Total 8 wkts (20ovs) 178
Fall of wkts :33, 41, 41, 77, 100, 152, 155, 171.
Bowling: K Santokie 4-0-30-1, S Badree 4-0-37-2, M Samuels 2-0-20-2, S Narine 4-1-19-2, D Sammy 1-0-16-0, D Bravo 4-0-39-1, A Russell 1-0-15-0.
West Indies Inns
D Smith c Haddin b Starc 17
C Gayle c Maxwell b Muirhead 53
L Simms c Maxwell b Bollinger 26
M Samuels c Haddin b Starc 12
D Bravo not out 27
D Sammy not out 34
Extras b2, lb6, w2 10
Total wkts (19.4ovs) 179
Fall of wkts: 50, 101, 107, 130.
Bowling: S Watson 2-1-11-0, M Starc 4-0-50-2, D Bollinger 4-0-34-1, G Maxwell 3-0-28-0, J Faulkner 3.4-0-27-0, J Muirhead 3-0-21-1.
Result: West Indies won by 6 wkts.
Man of match - Darren Sammy
West Indies 2pts, Australia 0.