In a match filled with drama, twists, and late nerves, Alick Athanaze produced one of the standout moments of brilliance as the West Indies faced New Zealand in the third T20I in Nelson. Although the visitors eventually fell short by nine runs, Athanaze’s direct hit to run out Devon Conway was a moment that briefly turned the tide in their favour.

The dismissal came at a crucial stage of the innings. Conway, who had looked in sublime touch with 56 off 34 balls, was anchoring New Zealand’s innings alongside Daryl Mitchell. The hosts had just crossed 90 and were eyeing a total well above 180 when Mitchell pushed a delivery from Shamar Springer towards deep midwicket and called for two. Conway, backing his partner’s call, turned for the second but underestimated Athanaze’s speed and accuracy in the field.

Alick Athanaze’s brilliant direct hit to run out Devon Conway steals the spotlight in Nelson

Sprinting swiftly to his left, Athanaze picked up the ball cleanly and unleashed a flat, bullet throw to the non-striker’s end. The direct hit caught Conway inches short of his ground, a stunning piece of fielding that sent the West Indies players into celebration. The run-out not only removed New Zealand’s in-form batter but also halted their momentum just when they were threatening to explode in the final overs.

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Direct hit and gone! ☄️

Alick Athanaze hits bullseye from deep to send Conway packing 🤯 #SonySportsNetwork #NZvWI pic.twitter.com/x8iluCv3CW

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) November 9, 2025

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Athanaze, who had earlier contributed a solid 31 with the bat, showcased his all-round value in the side. The direct hit exemplified his sharp awareness and athleticism, two traits that have made him one of the most promising young cricketers in the Caribbean setup.

Although New Zealand eventually posted 177 for 9, Athanaze’s run-out proved a turning point, sparking a middle-order collapse that saw the hosts lose six wickets for just 35 runs. It was only due to Conway and Mitchell’s earlier efforts that New Zealand had a defendable total on the board.

In the end, despite a late West Indies resurgence led by Romario Shepherd and Shamar Springer, the visitors fell agonizingly short. Yet, Athanaze’s moment of brilliance in the field stood out, a reminder that one piece of fielding can change the flow of a T20 game in an instant.

Washington Sundar broke into the Test side with his seven-wicket haul last year in Pune against New Zealand, when he came into the squad while playing the Ranji Trophy and left a mark. He flew to Australia and England with the national side and earned success, especially with the bat, as the memorable century came during the fourth game in Manchester.

However, he didn’t get any wickets during the second Test against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. On a surface where Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav shared nine wickets between them, Sundar struggled with his line and length. Moreover, he couldn’t get the ball at the right pace off his hands.

See Also: [WATCH] Shubman Gill's terrific catch makes Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s dismissal during IND vs WI 2nd Test

However, he bowled a dream delivery at the strike of Tea to dismiss Alick Athanze for seven runs. The ball pitched into the leg side, drawing the left-handed batter into the shot before changing its angle and nailing the top of the off-stump, as the batter’s shocking look was proof of how classical the ball was.

Watch: Washington Sundar’s superb delivery dismissed Alick Athanaze during IND vs WI 2nd Test

Earlier, India had got the wicket of Tagenarine Chanderpaul for 10 runs when Mohammed Siraj went short at the batter, who was late on the pull shot and wasn’t fully committed. Shubman Gill, standing at the mid-on region, took a few steps on his left and kept his eyes on the ball to collect a fine catch to draw first blood.

Drift drags Athanaze’s bat towards leg. Creates a gap for the ball to spin across the LHB and onto the stumps. Brilliant bowling from Washington Sundar. He keeps doing it! pic.twitter.com/E0Sy9WQWr6

— Amar Sohal (@sohalamarsingh) October 12, 2025

In the first innings, it was Kuldeep Yadav’s firing bowling as his fine figures of 5/82 helped to bundle out the Caribbean side for 248 runs to earn a lead of 270 runs. Along with him, Ravindra Jadeja was excellent on the second day with his three wickets.

India’s captain and the management decided to enforce the follow-on as they aimed to pick a few more wickets to push for an early finish in the encounter. Jadeja and Siraj started the second innings’ bowling, with Kuldeep yet to get his introduction into the attack.

Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar gave India an important breakthrough after Lunch by dismissing Alick Athanaze (38 off 74) with a smart return catch. Athanaze attempted to direct the ball to the leg side but got a leading edge that allowed Sundar to react quickly and dive to his right and take an excellent catch. It lifted the Indian team, who were already in command of the match in Ahmedabad.

India declared their first innings at 448/5 to end up with a lead of 286 over the West Indies. Dhruv Jurel scored 125, while Ravindra Jadeja finished on 104 and KL Rahul got 100. The Indian captain decided to declare at the start of Day 3 to make full use of the helpful bowling conditions.

Earlier in the day, India’s bowlers maintained complete control. The spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, troubled the Windies batters and shared four wickets between them. West Indies struggled to build any big partnership, and just when Alick Athanaze and Justin Greaves tried to steady the innings, Washington Sundar’s clever bowling broke their stand.

Sundar’s Smart Bowling Puts India on Top

In 35.3 overs, Washington Sundar bowled a full delivery on the off stump that straightened after pitching. Athanaze tried to flick it through the leg side but played too early, sending the ball up in the air. Sundar moved across and caught it safely with one hand, completing a fine return catch. The wicket put India even closer to victory in the first Test.

Watch the video here

7 DOWN! ⬇️❤️🔥#WashingtonSundar finds the leading edge and #AlickAthanaze can only watch. Another blow for Windies! 🏟️🙌

Catch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/lvHQ6SSW3r#INDvWI 1st Test, Day 3 👉 LIVE NOW on Star Sports & JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/PaAikUoKaB

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 4, 2025

See Also: [WATCH] Nitish Reddy's flying catch dismisses Tagenarine Chanderpaul during IND vs WI Ahmedabad Test

At the latest update, West Indies are 122/8 in 41.4 overs, still trailing by 164 runs. India need just two wickets to win the Test and take a 1-0 lead in the series. Kuldeep Yadav has figures of 1/23, while Sundar’s wicket has further strengthened India’s position.

The West Indies have announced a 15-member squad ahead of their two-Test series against India, which is set to begin on October 2 in Ahmedabad. The tour will be the Caribbean team's first away assignment of the newly established ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.

Chase remains as captain, Pierre earns maiden call-up, Brathwaite dropped

Selectors have chosen to go ahead with continuity under the captaincy of Roston Chase, who will continue to lead the team with left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican named as vice-captain. The largest talking point, however, is the maiden Test call-up for 33-year-old Khary Pierre. The left-arm spinner has been rewarded for his consistent performances at the domestic level, including an impressive West Indies Championship season where he took 41 wickets at an average of just 13.56.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze have been included in the squad, and will both be expected to bring strength to the batting unit that struggled against Australia in the June-July series. Chanderpaul in particular, is seen as a key addition to the top order, given West Indies' continued struggles at the top of the order.

The absence of experienced player Kraigg Brathwaite is notable, being dropped following a dismal home series against Australia where he recorded only 15 runs in four innings. Brathwaite also reached a notable milestone earlier this year, appearing in his 100th Test match, becoming only the 10th player from the West Indies to reach that milestone. His omission also suggests possible transition for the side. Keacy Carty, Johann Layne, and Mikyle Louis, who were all part of the Australia series, also missed out.

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Sammy backs Chanderpaul and Athanaze, Pierre gets maiden call up, Motie rested

Daren Sammy, the head coach, stated the reasoning behind the squad: “The return of Tagenarine Chanderpaul is to help us change our fortunes in the top of the order due to the struggles as of late, Alick Athanaze is being added for his strengths and qualities against spin bowling. Khary is included for the first time as our second spinner, in what we expect to be conditions conducive for turning in India."

Cricket West Indies has also indicated that first-choice spinner Gudakesh Motie has been rested while the management is monitoring his workload leading to a busy white-ball calendar upcoming, such as the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled for early 2026. The two-match Test series will take place in Ahmedabad (October 2-6) and New Delhi (October 10-14). The West Indies squad is scheduled to arrive in India on September 24.

West Indies 15-member squad for the two-match Test series in India

Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope (wk), Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales

Team Management: Daren Sammy (Head Coach), Floyd Reifer (Assistant Coach – Batting), Ravi Rampaul (Assistant Coach - Bowling), Rayon Griffith (Assistant Coach - Fielding).