There was all this commotion regarding the logistics issue at St. Kitts and the resultant late start of the 2nd T20I between India and West Indies. However, just three hours after the game, the chatter limited itself to just one phenomenon: Obed McCoy.
Lets me give those who missed the spell a live coverage of the McCoy masterclass and its preceding events.
The match referee is out for the toss and so are the captains of both the sides. Nicholas Pooran calls it right and chooses to bowl first, their 68-run loss in the previous game notwithstanding. But don’t criticize the decision from the Caribbean skipper. The first delivery itself is enough to prove him right.
McCoy comes running in, bowls a chest-high delivery that takes off the pitch and takes Rohit Sharma –who watches his outside edge balloon to backward point– with it.
The next five balls are all no less in quality as all Shreyas Iyer manages to do is defend them and save himself. The first over from Obed McCoy is a maiden.
McCoy returns to bowl the third over of the innings and he strikes again, this time removing an aggressive Suryakumar and reducing the Men in Blue to 2 for 17. Following this, Pooran decides to do Indian batsmen a favour and takes his strike-bowler off the attack for a long while.
Obed McCoy is introduced back into the attack only in the 17th over as India looks for their final flourish from Dinesh Karthik and Ravindra Jadeja. Sadly, McCoy denies it by slipping in an unrecognizable slower slot-ball. Tricked, Ravindra goes into his slog early and miscues it to Powell- who is patrolling the long-on fence.
18.1, McCoy sees Karthik winding up. He also knows that DK likes it pacey and full. Thus, he slips in a slower, length-delivery, which DK mistimes straight to short fine-leg. Two balls later, another slower one and another wicket as Ravichandran Ashwin –striking it at 200– fails to escape Odean Smith at point. Fifer done.
But that isn’t enough for Obed McCoy. The left-armer gives Bhuvneshwar Kumar a taste of his own medicine: a good-length normal-paced delivery around off stump. Result? BK follows DK to the dugout after feathering it to the Caribbean wicket-keeper.
That how it went. Obed started with a wicket, ended with a wicket, and bowled one of the greatest T20 international spells to finish 6 for 17. He also bagged the Player of The Match, won his team the game, and created multiple records.
The best-ever T20I bowling figures against India, and much more
Here is a list of records that Obed McCoy owns after his unbelievable bowling performance-
- Best-ever T20I figures against India: The previous best bowling performance versus India came from Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga. However, McCoy’s 6 for 17 has outshone it by two wickets. Hasaranga’s figures read 4 for 9.
- Best-ever T20I figures for West Indies: The Man of The Match winning spell from Obed McCoy is now the best one in West Indies’ cricket T20I history, beating Keemo Paul’s 5 for 15 against Bangladesh in 2018.
- First-ever West Indies bowler to take a T20 international six-for.
- First-ever bowler to take a T20I five-for against India.