Indore: India’s bowlers defended 223 on a dew-free night to beat West Indies by 14 runs in the T20I at the Holkar Stadium here on Sunday, and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Arshdeep Singh returned with figures of 3-44, while Naman Dhir took two scalps. Arshdeep, who took out in-form Shai Hope, along with others ensured that the West Indies big-hitters couldn’t ace a second chase on the trot.
Shamar Springer’s 11-ball 35 not out gave the visitors a late push, but it went in vain, as the West Indies finished on 209/7. The win is also the first victory for a team batting first in the white-ball series so far. It came despite India’s second-half slide, with soft dismissals, had made 223 look below par at one stage, after Abhishek Sharma’s 30-ball 69 had laid the foundation for a big total.
India’s defence began with Mayank Yadav opening with a one-run over, while Arshdeep struck when Hope went for a wild slog, but was castled for one. Shimron Hetmyer then took the attack to the bowlers. After a quiet start, he broke free with a boundary off Mayank in the third over, and was given a life on five when Abhishek Sharma dropped a simple chance of him at short third man.
Hetmyer made the most of it by hitting a six and two fours off Arshdeep in the fourth over, as 19 runs came off it. With Mayank and Prince Yadav leaking runs, West Indies reached 54/1 at the end of the Powerplay, 33 runs behind India’s 87/1 at the same stage.
Hetmyer carted Naman Dhir for four and six, before being bowled for 43 by a slower delivery from the off-spinner which skidded as well. With Kamil Pooran struggling for timing, West Indies were under pressure and that led to Rovman Powell holing out to deep cover for five, as he went for a loft on a quicker delivery from Axar without reaching to the pitch of the ball.
Pooran launched a late assault on Dhir by hitting three sixes over cow corner, wide long-off and square leg. But Dhir had the last laugh as Pooran tried the same pick-up shot, but couldn’t get under the ball and holed out in the deep for 42.
Sherfane Rutherford and Quention Sampson tried resurrecting the innings with some lusty boundaries, before the latter holed out to long-off on Nitish Kumar Reddy’s bowling. When Arshdeep took out Keemo Paul and Rutherford in four balls of the 18th over, it made the result a foregone conclusion in India’s favour, despite some last over boundary hitting from Shamar Springer, who remained unbeaten on 11-ball 35.
Brief Scores: India 223 all out in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 69, Ishan Kishan 37; Roston Chase 2-38, Shamar Springer 2-50) beat West Indies 209/7 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 43, Kamil Pooran 42; Arshdeep Singh 3-44, Naman Dhir 2-39) by 14 runs.
(IANS)
