India smashed a seemingly aimless West Indies by 88 runs in the fifth T20I to finish the series 4-1. Both teams made four changes on the dead rubber, although West Indies appeared to be going through the motions.

The Windies bowlers bowled three no-balls, didn’t seem interested in fielding the ball on more than one occasion, and their attack lacked effectiveness: there was no fast pace, no point of difference, and no precision.

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The West Indies’ batting lineup was unusual with regular openers Kyle Mayers and Brandon King sidelined. Axar Patel preyed on the right-hand batters in the powerplay after Jason Holder opened the game.

Captain Nicholas Pooran‘s forgettable series finished with a 6-ball 3. Wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi had some fun against the weak middle and lower order in their opening matches of the series as West Indies crashed to 100 all out. Spinners took all ten wickets in a men’s T20 international for the first time.

After resting Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, India batted first with Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer. Shot-making wasn’t easy on a pitch that was in use for the second day in a row, as Kishan learned when he attempted to pull Dominic Drakes in the fifth over but only managed a top edge to mid-on.

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Iyer and Deepak Hooda, on the other hand, made batting look effortless with a 76-run partnership in 7.2 overs. It also helped that the West Indies frequently failed to bowl to their fields. Iyer frequently gained space with the field up on the off side and joyously continued to hit over the 30-yard circle. In the eighth over, he also hit a stunning aerial off-drive off Odean Smith for his second successive six.

Hooda next blasted legspinner Hayden Walsh inside-out, into the wind, and over extra-cover for India’s third consecutive six. From 95 for 1 in 10 overs, the two hitters showed even more intent, taking 17 off the 11th over, bowled by Obed McCoy, whose six-for in the second match has cost him the series. India was hoping for a huge total here.

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Walsh and Smith produced a strong recovery in the second half of the inning, which was briefly delayed by the lightning-threat signal. According to Florida state law, no sporting event can go place if there is a lightning threat within a seven-mile radius of the stadium. Even the onlookers had to seek refuge.

The ball digging into the surface provided some relief for the West Indies on the field. Walsh ran around the wicket with a change of ends before the interval, forcing Hooda to hit into the wind on the leg side and having him caught in the deep. Holder caught Iyer and bowled him for 64 off 40 balls.

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Smith bowled into the pitch and varied his pace to surrender only 18 runs in his final three overs, the 16th, 18th, and 20th. As India sought early runs, he was rewarded with three wickets.

With the exception of the 19th over, in which stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya smacked Holder for two sixes and four fours, India struggled to score quickly. Despite the fact that the final nine overs yielded only 76 runs, India had an impressive total on the board.

Because India saw two right-handed batters walk in to start, they tossed the new ball to Axar, who continually bothered the right-hand batters with his lack of turn. Holder attempted to paddle Axar after being hit on the inside half of the bat twice, only to be beaten on the inside edge and then have his leg stump blown back.

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Axar took out Devon Thomas and Shamarh Brooks in the fifth over after a wicket-maiden start. The ball slipped on to beat the inside edge as Thomas attempted to cut. Brooks was beaten on the inside edge and stumped.

At one end, Hetmyer had a solitary hand of 56 off 35, but Kuldeep and Bishnoi wrecked havoc. Pooran was defeated by a Kuldeep flipper while returning to a full ball.

Rovman Powell and Keemo Paul had no idea who the Bishnoi jerk was. Drakes and Smith did not respond to Kuldeep’s wrongdoers. Only Hetmyer lasted an inning before holing out to long-off against Bishnoi.