Virender Sehwag Hails Chris Gayle After His St Lucia Masterclass
Credits: Getty

Former India opener Virender Sehwag has lauded Chris Gayle after his stunning knock against England in the fifth ODI on Saturday.

Playing his final ODI on the Caribbean soil, Chris Gayle was at his devastating best as he blew England away. On a bouncy and pacer-friendly wicket where England were all out for just 113, Gayle looked absolutely menacing.  With the pitch favouring the pacers, England would have hoped to challenge the hosts despite posting just 113. However, Gayle smashed two fours and a six in the very first over to make things clear.

The self-proclaimed Universe Boss reached his 50 off just 19 balls, which is the fastest by a Windies player, as Windies thrashed the visitors by seven wickets to draw the five-match series. Windies chased down the total of 113 in just 12.1 overs to inflict the heaviest defeat on the visitors in terms of balls left in the innings.

Virender Sehwag Hails Chris Gayle After His St Lucia Masterclass
What an entertainer: Virender Sehwag on Chris Gayle (Credits: Getty Images,)

Gayle, who will retire from ODIs after the upcoming World Cup, was the destructor-in-chief, smashing 77 off just 27 balls. The knock contained nine sixes as he took his tally to a mind-boggling 39 in just four innings of this series.

Impressed with his knock, Virender Sehwag took to Twitter to praise Gayle, writing:

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“Universe Boss for a reason. 27 ball 77 from the big man, raining sixes at will , what an entertainer @henrygayle”

Gayle, meanwhile, scooped the Man of the Series award for finishing the series as the highest run-scorer. While no other batsman in the series could score more than 256, Gayle amassed a staggering 424 runs at an average of 106. He scored two fifties, two centuries and hit 20 fours, 39 sixes in four innings.

Gayle, meanwhile, hoped that Windies’ performance in the series would make other teams respect them in the World Cup.

“We will get a bit of respect going into the World Cup. If we get it right as a unit, we can create some damage in the World Cup. We’re very capable of winning games in England,” he said after the game.

 

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