WI vs SL T20: Akila Dananjaya 1st bowler to get hit for 7 consecutive sixes: The Sri Lankan spin wizard, Akila Danajaya, had a roller coaster ride in the 1st T20I game against the mighty Caribbeans at their own backyard.
The spinner had been crowned with an award which he wouldn’t have surely wanted anytime in his career. He became the first-ever bowler to get hit for 7 consecutive sixes in an international cricket match.
First, it was the carnage of Kieron Pollard who took on the spinner for 6 sixes in an over, followed by another six but this time it was Jason Holder who took the liking to Dananjaya. Firstly, Pollard assaulted 6 sixes in Danajaya’s 3rd over and then Jason Holder pinched an iota of salt on his wounds by another hit over the ropes on the very first ball of Danajaya’s 4th over. Dananjaya finished off the match with the figures of 4-0-63-3.
Take a bow Skipper!🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 The 1st West Indian to hit 6️⃣ sixes in an over in a T20I!🤯 #WIvSL #MenInMaroon
Live Scorecard⬇️ https://t.co/MBDOV534qQ pic.twitter.com/etkxX7l7bq
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) March 4, 2021
A Ride through Dananjaya’s roller coaster
Indeed, Akila Dananjaya would be having mixed emotions after the match, contemplating whether to cherish or obliterate the match from his memory. He had a memorable start to his spell where he took his first-ever hat-trick to send off the likes of Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran in the same order, trudging back to the pavilion.
Hitherto, Sri Lankans were on top but their ecstasy was soon put to a halt once Pollard took the guard. Pollard became only the 3rd ever batsman to achieve the feat of hitting six sixes in an over after the South African opener batsman — Herschelle Gibbs and the Indian destructive southpaw — Yuvraj Singh. Pollard went on to score 38 runs on a meagre of 11 balls. By the time of Pollard’s departure, he had already put his team’s one foot over the line and the rest of the menial work was done by the lower middle-order batsmen and ensured a 4 wickets victory to their team.
Hat-trick at Coolidge Cricket Ground! 🎩
Incredible bowling from Akila Dananjaya takes out Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, and Nicholas Pooran in three balls 👏#WIvSL | https://t.co/9dDhj3c1JC pic.twitter.com/3kfDyi3s4D
— ICC (@ICC) March 4, 2021
Gayle’s and Edwards’ comeback to West Indies
Chris Gayle, who was making a comeback in red colours for West Indies after a gap of 2 years, didn’t have the dreamiest of the starts as he was trumped by Akila Dananjaya and became his second victim of his hat-trick. Whereas on the other hand, the 39-year-old pace bowler, Fidel Edwards, who was the other notable player making a comeback to the side after 9 long years had a decent outing in the 1st T20I. He bowled his quota of 4 overs and took the solitary wicket of the Lankan captain, Angelo Mathews by slipping 29 runs only.
Going into the 2nd T20I, Sri Lanka will be a more concerned side whereas the West Indians would still be partying in the Caribbean style and would not tickle with their winning combination.
