West Indies’ celebration after winning their second T20 World Cup against England at the Eden Gardens:
The West Indies Cricket Board and some quarters of the media gave the national side no chance at all to lift the coveted prize before the start of the global event. They were even ridiculed to a serious level, labeled as just playing for big money.
The story that they plotted in the next four weeks was an amazing one as Darren Sammy and his side showed ultimate resilience and flair to outclass England at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
From Chris Gayle’s demolition of England with a ton in early stages to Lendl Simmons amazing innings to stun home side India to Carlos Braithwaite’s four consecutive sixes was just an example that the side which was once seen as an outcast, lifted the biggest prize in the game for the second time to silence their detractors once and for all.
Sammy did dedicate the win to the people of the Caribbean and was emotional on his greatest night as the side’s celebration went throughout the night because of last over heroics from Carlos Brathwaite, who reached an unprecedented level of super-stardom with four colossal blows of Ben Stokes.
England bowlers tried hard and Chris Jordan succeeded for a while cramping the batsmen with perfect yorkers. Stokes aimed for the same to target the toes, but failed at the crucial juncture, which cost them a shorter format crown.
Stokes, who would’ve been the hero for England, turned a villain after sending down the first two length balls down the leg and was creamed over the boundary line by Braithwaite, who’s very strong on his pads.
Measuring his line and length, Stokes bowled third and fourth ball slightly better, but couldn’t stop Braithwaite, who whacked the ball over the boundary line.
The four sixes in a row 6, 6, 6, 6 in the last over of the World Twenty20 final gave the Windies a resounding four-wicket win over England followed by unique celebration.
“Carlos Braithwaite, Carlos Braithwaite, remember the name! It’s history for the West Indies,” were the exact words from the cricketer-turned commentator Ian Bishop in the commentary box as he almost pulled out his lungs with a scream. It’s still afresh to ears.