India's hopes of booking a place in the semifinals of the ICC World Twenty20 suffered a debilitating blow with defeat to the West Indies by 14 runs at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, on Sunday.
This was India's second loss in two Super Eight games.
To qualify for the semifinals, India will need to beat Sri Lanka in its final Super Eight match on Tuesday and hope that Australia defeats both Sri Lanka and West Indies. In such a scenario, with Sri Lanka, West Indies and India tied on one win each, net run rate would determine the second qualifier from the group.
The architect of West Indies' win was skipper Chris Gayle, who powered the host to 169 for six with an explosive 66-ball 98, which included five fours and seven sixes.
In reply, India began uncertainly, hemmed in by an incisive opening spell from seamers Darren Sammy and Jerome Taylor, but stayed in the hunt, thanks to Suresh Raina (32) and captain M.S. Dhoni (29). But its chances evaporated when Dhoni was run out with 31 required from 11 balls.
