Beyond The No-Balls And a Toe, Six Huge Escapes in West Indies vs India Clash

Cricket analysts can't recall if there have ever been six strange turning points - six bizarre escapes - involving the top batsman in each team. That's in some ways the USP of the West Indies vs India semi-final, which resulted in India exiting the T20 World Cup. (Lendl Simmons Rides Luck to Carry West Indies Into World T20 Final)

While everyone in India, including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has focused on two no-balls (from Hardik Pandya and Ravichandran Ashwin) and a toe that saved the Windies top scorer Lendl Simmons, look closer. (Virat Kohli Overtakes Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum For Most Fifties in T20s)

Simmons should have been out at 18 - nope - it was a no ball. Ashwin over-stepped.

Simmons should have been out at 50 - not to be - again, it was a no ball! This time it was Pandya.

Simmons should have been out at 68 caught on the widish long on boundary - nope - saved by a toe, Ravindra Jadeja's boot touched the ropes.

What about the other side of the coin? India may have lost the toss but India's top batsman, Virat Kohli, had three bizarre escapes.

Kohli should have been out at 1, trying to steal an unnecessary bye - nope - the wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin and then Dwayne Bravo missed the stumps by a whisker.

In a comedy of errors, Kohli got a second life. India's leading batsman should have been out at the same score, but bowler (Dwayne Bravo) missed something he would get 99 times out of 100. Kohli got two runs in the bargain.

And then in the 20th over, Kohli would have been out at 81, but Simmons could not hold on to a lofted at deep mid-wicket. Earlier on in the 18th over, Kohli survived a half chance when Carlos Brathwaite fell just short of a diving catch, running in from long on.

Six of the strangest escapes. In one match. Bizarre.

(With inputs from Lav Vaid)