‘Bring the rum and come’: Cricket board replies to a fan after WI wins second ODI against India

The visitors crushed the West Indies in the opening ODI after the host team could only muster 114 runs. But with a six-wicket win in the second match, they leveled the series.

In light of this, a West Indies fan tweeted a picture of a signboard that reads, ‘Free rum when West Indies win.”

In response, Cricket West Indies tweeted back, “Bring the rum and come.”

As the third and final ODI approaches on August 1, the question remains whether India will continue their experimental approach or recall Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the series-decider.

The opening ODI saw skipper Rohit Sharma bat at No. 7, a position he hasn’t held since 2011. Virat Kohli, the former captain, did not bat at all. Both Rohit and Virat were rested for the second ODI, while all-rounder Axar Patel surprisingly came in at No. 4.

While the objective was to test fresh players ahead of the ODI World Cup against a lesser West Indies team that hasn’t even qualified for the tournament, many question why the star combination was chosen for the ODI series in the Caribbean in the first place. Furthermore, tinkering with the batting line-up so close to the 2017 ODI World Cup in India (in October/November) is being discussed.

India surprisingly elected to bowl first in the opening ODI, expecting for beneficial batting practice while chasing. However, the decision backfired, as the West Indies were bowled out for 114 in 23 overs on a difficult pitch.