Lauderhill (USA): A swashbuckling Shimron Hetmyer finally hit the high note in the T20I series with a fantastic half-century as West Indies posted a competitive 178/8 against India in the fourth game at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium on Saturday.
On a flat pitch, Hetmyer was breezy in his strokeplay to slam a 39-ball 61, laced with three fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 156.41. He was well-supported by an impressive Shai Hope making a 29-ball 45 to set a daunting chase for India.
For India, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh took three wickets while Kuldeep Yadav had two scalps to his name. If the visitors are to square the series, they must break the record of the highest successful chase in a men’s T20I at Lauderhill, which is 95.
Electing to bat first, West Indies had an ideal start with Kyle Mayers tonking Axar Patel for six over long-on and ending the over with a four swept past fine leg.
After hitting a boundary of Arshdeep, Mayers fell when he was cramped for room by the left-arm pacer on the ramp and could only edge behind to keeper Sanju Samson, who leapt to complete the catch.
Brandon King and Hope used their feet well to take 13 runs off Yuzvendra Chahal and followed it up by taking 12 runs off Axar. But Arshdeep cut short King’s threatening knock in the final over of Power-play, as the batter nicked a wide delivery to the left of short fine leg.
After the Power-play, Kuldeep struck in his first over with big scalps of Nicholas Pooran and captain Rovman Powell. While Pooran holed out to long-on, Powell’s attempt to flick through the on-side ended up in a leading edge flying to slip. Hope, playing in his first T20I game in a year and a half, continued to impress by dancing down the pitch to hit a four and six off Chahal.
From the other end, Hetmyer whipped Kuldeep for four and followed it up by pulling and slicing off Hardik Pandya for six and four respectively.
Chahal ended Hope’s stay at 45 when the right-hander tried to hoick against the turn but holed out to long-on. Axar returned to take out Romario Shepherd, who went for a slog-sweep but saw the top edge being caught by Samson.
Mukesh Kumar was rewarded for his accuracy in the 16th over by castling Jason Holder. But Hetmyer continued to tee-off, moving across to scoop Mukesh over short fine leg for six and followed it up by dancing down the pitch to slam Kuldeep for a flat six over extra cover, to eventually reach his fifty in 35 balls.
Hetmyer then swiped Mukesh for four and hammered Arshdeep over mid-wicket for six, before a superb catch from Tilak Varma running forward at long-on ended his knock at 61. Akeal Hosein and Odean Smith hit a four and six in the last four balls of the innings as 17 runs came off the final over.
Brief scores:
West Indies 178/8 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 61, Shai Hope 45; Arshdeep Singh 3-38, Kuldeep Yadav 2-26) against India
(IANS)
