Taroba: A fine performance from the bowlers led by Jason Holder helped the West Indies beat India by four runs in the first T20 International to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series here on Thursday. Chasing West Indies’ target of 150, the Indian team was bundled out for 145 for nine in front of some dashing bowling from Holder (2/19), Obed McCoy (2/28), and Romario Sheppard (2/33). Could only make Left-arm spinner Akil Hussain bowl economically, taking one wicket for 17 runs. Tilak Verma, making his debut for India, scored the highest 39 runs.
Suryakumar Yadav (21) and skipper Hardik Pandya (19) failed to capitalize on the good starts. West Indies scored 149 for six wickets with the fine innings of captain Rovman Powell (48 runs in 32 balls, three fours, three sixes) and Nicholas Pooran (41 runs in 34 balls, two fours, two sixes). Both also added 38 runs for the fourth wicket.
Powell also shared a 38-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Shimron Hetmyer (10). For India, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took 24 while fast bowler Arshdeep Singh took two wickets for 31 runs. Left-arm spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Pandya took one wicket each for 20 and 27 runs respectively. India got off to a bad start chasing the target.
The team lost the wickets of both openers Shubman Gill (03) and Ishan Kishan (06) for 28 runs in the fifth over. Gill was stumped by wicket-keeper Johnson Charles off Hussain while Ishan was caught by left-arm seamer McCoy at mid-on to Powell. Suryakumar opened the account with a four off Hussain and then hit Alzarri Joseph for a four and a six in the next over. Verma began his run in international cricket with two consecutive sixes off Alzarri Joseph. India scored 45 runs for two wickets in the power play. Verma also hit Shepard for sixes and fours in successive balls but Hetmyer ended his innings by taking a brilliant catch of Suryakumar (21) off Holder. India scored 70 runs for three wickets in 10 overs. Verma hit Shepard for another four in the next over but was caught by Hetmyer at the boundary in the same over.
He hit three sixes and two fours while facing 22 balls. India’s century was completed in the 15th over. India needed 37 runs to win in the last five overs but the team lost the wickets of skipper Pandya (19) and Sanju Samson (12) in the next over. Holder bowled Pandya while Samson was run out. It was over maiden.
Only five runs were scored in Joseph’s next over. India needed 32 runs in the last three overs. Akshar Patel (13) scored 11 runs in the 18th over with a six over Holder but McCoy had him caught by Hetmyer in the next over. Arshdeep gave India hope with two consecutive fours over McCoy. The visiting team needed 10 runs in the last over. Shepard bowled Kuldeep Yadav (03) while the run out of Arshdeep (11) ended India’s hopes of victory.
Earlier, electing to bat after winning the toss, Brendan King got off to a good start. He hit two consecutive fours in the second over of Mukesh Kumar’s innings after opening the account with a four off Arshdeep. King welcomed left-arm spinner Akshar Patel with a six.
Chahal dealt a double blow to the West Indies in the fifth over of the innings, dismissing King and second opener Kyle Myers (01) within three balls. Chahal lbw both the batsmen. King scored 28 runs. Puran hit Chahal for a four and a six as soon as he came, while in the next over Akshar also hit fours and sixes on consecutive balls.
West Indies scored 54 runs for two wickets in the power play. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav dealt West Indies the third blow when he caught Johnson Charles (03) at the hands of debutant Tilak Verma. The Indian bowlers curbed the run rate in the middle overs. West Indies batsmen had to wait till the 11th over after the power play for boundaries. Powell ends the boundary drought with a four off Pandya. Powell waved the ball in the air in an attempt to play a big shot off Kuldeep’s ball but failed to catch his catch while running from Gill Point.
Pooran, however, while trying to play a big shot off Pandya, was caught by Verma at the boundary. As soon as Hetmyer arrived, he completed the team’s century in the 15th over with fours on Pandya. Powell got a second life in the same over from Pandya when Chahal dropped a simple catch in the covers.
Taking advantage of this, Powell took the very next ball to the audience for six runs. In the next over, Powell also hit Chahal for a straight six and then hit Arshdeep for fours and sixes in successive balls. Arshdeep gave a double blow to the West Indies by dismissing Hetmyer and Powell in the 19th over. Hetmyer caught Akshar in an attempt to play a big shot, while Powell was caught by Suryakumar at the log-on. India has given debut opportunities to batsmen Tilak and Mukesh. Mukesh made his debut in all three formats of the game on the current tour.
