Tarouba [Trinidad and Tobago]: Brilliant bowling spells by Romario Sheperd, Jason Holder and Obed McCoy, particularly in death overs helped a calm West Indies clinch a thrilling four-run win over India in the first T20I of the five-match series at Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday.
WI now has a 1-0 lead in the series.
In a chase of 150 runs, India did not get off to the most ideal start. Shubman Gill’s mixed-bag tour of the Windies continued with another failure as he was stumped by Nicholas Pooran on a delivery by Akael Hosein for three of nine balls. India was 5/1 in 2.2 overs.
Suryakumar Yadav was next up on the crease and he immediately attacked Akael and Alzarri Joseph, smashing Hosein for a four and Alzarri for a four and six.
In the fifth over, Kishan handed WI skipper Rovman Powell an easy catch at mid-on on a delivery by Obed McCoy. The batter’s struggles in T20Is continued as he could score only six in nine balls. India was 28/2 in 4.5 overs.
Tilak Varma, the debutant walked in at number four. He got his first runs by smacking a 143 kmph delivery by Alzarri for a six over deep mid-wicket, following it with another maximum over the deep square leg on a 146 kmph delivery.
At the end of the powerplay, India was at 45/2, with Suryakumar (17*) and Tilak (16*) unbeaten.
India reached the 50-run mark in 7 overs.
In the eighth over, Tilak chose Romario Shepherd for attacking, smashing him for a four and six.
The 45-run stand for the third wicket ended when Jason Holder took the wicket of Suryakumar for 21 off 21 balls, consisting of two fours and a six. Shimron Hetmyer took a solid catch at deep extra cover. India was 67/3 in 9.2 overs.
At the end of 10 overs, India was at 70/3, with skipper Hardik Pandya (2*) and Tilak (33*) unbeaten.
In the 11th over, Shepherd put an end to Tilak’s entertaining knock of 39 in 22 balls, consisting of two fours and three sixes. India was 77/4 in 11 overs.
Hardik and Sanju Samson then put on a partnership, helping India reach the 100-run mark in 14.1 overs.
A four by Pandya and six by Samson later in the over-reduced pressure. India was 113/4 in 15 overs, with Pandya (19*) and Samson (12*) unbeaten. The tides had swung in favour of India.
The 16th over proved to be a game-changing one as first, Pandya was bowled for 19 off 19 balls by Holder and later Samson was run out by Kyle Mayers for 12. India sunk to 113/6 in 16 overs, needing 37 in the final four overs.
The 17th over gave away only five runs, reducing the deficit to 32 in the final three overs.
11 runs in the next over, including a six by Axar helped restore India’s hopes, needing 21 in the final two overs.
Axar was dismissed for 13 after being caught by Hetmyer on the first ball of the 18th over, sinking India to 129/7 in 18.1 overs.
Arshdeep Singh was up next and hit two back-to-back fours. This left India with 10 to get in the final over.
India experienced yet another jolt as Kuldeep’s stumps were dismantled by Shepherd for 3. India was 140/8 in 19.1 overs.
Arshdeep’s small cameo ended at 11 runs after a runout. India was 144/9, needing six in one ball, which they could not make.
Holder (2/19), McCoy (2/28) and Shepherd (2/33) were the pick of the bowlers for WI. Hosein also got a wicket.
Earlier, a strong bowling attack helped India restrict West Indies to 149/6 in the opening T20I of the five-match series at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Thursday.
Rovman Powell scored the highest for West Indies with 48 off 32 while Nicholas Pooran played a fine knock of 41 runs in 34 balls.
For India, Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal bagged two wickets each while Kuldeep Yadav and captain Hardik Pandya scalped one a piece.
Nicholas Pooran then came out to bat and got off to the mark with a four as the ball raced away off at mid-off. On the second delivery, he slammed a big six to end Chahal’s over.
Pooran found boundaries off Axar Patel also as he drove the ball into the stands at deep mid-wicket, then pushed through the covers for four on the next delivery.
The left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav was then brought into the attack and the spinner proved captain Hardik Pandya’s decision right as he removed Johnson Charles for 3 in the 8th over of the game.
The right-handed batter and captain Rovman Powell then came to bat. In the 15th over of the game, Pandya provided his team with a big breakthrough as he removed well-set batter Pooran for 41.
The left-handed batter Shimron Hetmyer then came out to bat and got off to mark with a fine four. Powell then shifted gears and slammed Indian bowlers gathering boundaries at regular intervals.
Powell slammed Arshdeep Singh for 13 runs with the help of one four and one maximum.
Arshdeep made a fine comeback and he removed Hetmyer and Powell in the 19th over of the game. However, the pacer delivered four wides.
Mukesh Kumar delivered fine yorkers in the last over to restrict West Indies to 149/6 in 20 overs.
Brief score: West Indies 149/6 (Rovman Powell 48, Nicholas Pooran 41; Yuzvendra Chahal 2-22) won over India: 145/9 (Tilak Varma 39, Suryakumar Yadav 21, Jason Holder 2/19).
