Southampton ke Utilita Bowl mein England ki batting ne West Indies ke bowlers ko koi mauka nahi diya. Ben Duckett aur Jamie Smith ki shuruaati jodi ne 120 run jode, jisme Duckett ne 46 ball mein 84 aur Smith ne 26 ball mein 60 run banaye. Yeh shuruaat itni zabardast thi ki West Indies ke bowlers bas dekhte reh gaye. Shai Hope, West Indies ke naye T20 captain, ne toss jeetkar pehle bowling chuni, lekin unka yeh faisla bilkul galat sabit hua. Romario Shepherd aur Akeal Hosein jaise bowlers ke liye yeh match ek bura sapna tha, jahan Shepherd ke do overs mein 38 run pade aur Hosein bhi 10.50 ke economy rate se bach na sake.
Lekin chalo, West Indies ke liye sab kuch bura nahi tha. Unki batting ne jawab dene ki koshish ki. Rovman Powell ne 45 ball mein nabeaten 79 run banaye, aur captain Shai Hope ne bhi 45 run ka yogdaan diya, jisme teen chhake shamil the. Yeh dono batsmen West Indies ke liye ummeed ki kiran bane, bhale hi 248 run ka target unke bas ke bahar tha. Yeh yaad dilata hai 2016 ke T20 World Cup final ka, jab Carlos Brathwaite ne West Indies ke liye England ke khilaf aakhri over mein chaar chhake maar kar match jeeta tha. Us din West Indies ne duniya ko dikhaya tha ki wo kitne khatarnaak ho sakte hain. Aaj bhi, Powell aur Hope ke efforts ne dikha diya ki Caribbean team mein dum hai, bas thodi si consistency chahiye.
England ke liye yeh series Harry Brook ke captaincy ka ek shandaar aagaaz tha. Pehle ODI series mein 3-0 se jeet, aur ab T20 series mein bhi wahi kahani. Brook ne khud 35 run banaye, jabki Jacob Bethell ne 36 run ki nabeaten innings kheli, jisme teen chhake shamil the. England ka yeh aggressive approach T20 cricket mein unki nayi soch ko dikhata hai, jaisa ki Brendon McCullum ke coaching ke under unhone dikhaya hai. Yeh wahi England hai jinhone 2019 mein ODI World Cup jeeta tha, jab Eoin Morgan ki team ne New Zealand ke khilaf super over mein dramatic jeet haasil ki thi. Aaj Brook ki team usi raaste par chal rahi hai, jahan har match mein wo apne opponents par poora dabav banaye rakhte hain.
West Indies ke bowlers ke liye yeh series ek sabaq thi. Unhone shuruaat mein runs roke nahi, aur fielding mein bhi kaafi galtiyaan ki. Shimron Hetmyer ne Smith ka ek catch chhoda, jo shayad match ka turning point ho sakta tha. Lekin West Indies ke players ke liye yeh series ek nayi shuruaat bhi ho sakti hai. Shai Hope ki captaincy abhi nayi hai, aur team mein Andre Russell aur Jason Holder jaise experienced players hain jo agle saal T20 World Cup ke liye taiyaari kar sakte hain. Yaad hai 2007 ka T20 World Cup? Jab West Indies ne apne explosive batting se duniya ko hairaan kar diya tha? Aaj bhi unme wahi jazba hai, bas thodi si polish chahiye.
Magar aakhir mein, West Indies ke liye yeh tour dil todne wala raha. Ek bhi match na jeet pana, aur dono series mein 3-0 se haar, yeh unke fans ke liye bura laga hoga. Nicholas Pooran jaise star player ka na hona bhi ek badi wajah thi. Coach Daren Sammy ne kaha ki Pooran ke bina team ko naye tareeke se sochna padega, aur yeh T20 cricket ki haqeeqat hai jahan players franchise cricket ko zyada importance dete hain. 2023 ke T20 World Cup mein West Indies ke Super Eights mein haar ka zakhm abhi bhi taaza hai, aur ab 2026 World Cup ke liye unhe apni strategy bilkul badalni hogi. England ke liye yeh ek shandaar jeet hai, lekin West Indies ke liye yeh ek aur mauka hai apne aap ko dobara banane ka – kya pata, agle World Cup mein wo phir se sabko hairaan kar dein?
