Rohit Sharma’s sublime innings and Krunal Pandya’s all-round show powered India to a series-clinching 22-run win over West Indies in the rain-affected second T20I here on Sunday.
Batting first, India scored 167 for five and then had West Indies reeling at 98 for four in the 16th over when lightning and thundershowers struck. The Duckworth-Lewis par score at that point was 120, leaving India winner by 22 runs.
Final flourish
Rohit top-scored with 67 off 51 balls before Krunal (20 off 13 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja propped up the innings, smashing 20 runs in the final over bowled by Keemo Paul.
Krunal hit the first two balls of the 20th over for sixes before Jadeja smashed another.
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During the course of his innings, Rohit became T20I’s most prolific six-hitter, going past Chris Gayle’s record of 105. He struck six fours and three sixes in this match.
India was off to a quick start, crossing 50 in the seventh over with Rohit doing the bulk of the scoring. The India vice-captain found the gaps with ease, clipping Paul off his pads for a six over deep midwicket. The highest scorer in the World Cup then swept him for a four as the Indians upped the tempo.
Paul gave West Indies the breakthrough when he bowled Shikhar Dhawan. India was 67 for one in the eighth over at that stage.
Breaking free
Two quiet overs followed as India skipper Virat Kohli joined Rohit. The latter broke the shackles with a six over deep midwicket off Sunil Narine and brought up his 17th T20 half-century with a single to long-off.
Kohli, at the other end, hit a six off left-arm spinner Khary Pierre to get going. Rohit then smashed Carlos Brathwaite for a six and four as India’s 100 came up in the 13th over.
It took a fine catch from Shimron Hetmyer to bring an end to Rohit’s stay. The Indian opener departed in the 14th over.
Rishabh Pant (5) perished quickly, top-edging Thomas into the hands of Kieron Pollard at third man.
Sheldon Cottrell then took the prize scalp of Kohli, sending the middle-stump cartwheeling with a perfectly-executed yorker and performing his trademark salute.
In reply, West Indies was off to a disastrous start with both openers Evin Lewis and Sunil Narine back in the hut with just eight on the board in the third over.
Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran lifted the team with a 76-run stand for the third wicket before Krunal again got into the act, removing both batsmen in the space of three balls in the 14th over. Just as things were getting tougher for the hosts came the showers followed by lightning.
Scoreboard India vs West Indies, Second T20 International:
INDIA Rohit Sharma c Hetmyer b Thomas 67 (51b, 6x4, 3x6) , Shikhar Dhawan b Paul 23 (16b, 3x4) , Virat Kohli b Cottrell 28 (23b, 1x4, 1x6) , Rishabh Pant c Pollard b Thomas 4 (5b) , Manish Pandey c Pooran b Cottrell 6 (8b) , Krunal Pandya (not out) 20 (13b, 2x6) , Ravindra Jadeja (not out) 9 (4b, 1x6) ; Extras (lb-3, w-7): 10; Total (for five wkts. in 20 overs): 167.
FALL OF WICKETS 1-67 (Dhawan, 7.5 overs), 2-115 (Rohit, 13.5), 3-126 (Pant, 15.1), 4-132 (Kohli, 16.2), 5-143 (Pandey, 18.3.).
WEST INDIES BOWLING Thomas 4-0-27-2, Cottrell 4-0-25-2, Narine 4-0-28-0, Paul 4-0-46-1, Brathwaite 2-0-22-0, Pierre 2-0-16-0.
WEST INDIES
( target 121 in 15.3 overs ) Sunil Narine b Washington 4 (12b) , Evin Lewis c & b Bhuvneshwar 0 (2b) , Nicholas Pooran c Pandey b Krunal 19 (34b, 1x4) , Rovman Powell lbw b Krunal 54 (34b, 6x4, 3x6) , Kieron Pollard (not out) 8 (8b, 1x4) , Shimron Hetmyer (not out) 6 (4b, 1x4) ; Extras (lb-1, nb-1, w-5): 7; Total (for four wkts. in 15.3 overs): 98.
FALL OF WICKETS 1-2 (Lewis, 1.2), 2-8 (Narine, 2.6), 3-84 (Pooran, 13.2), 4-85 (Powell, 13.5).
INDIA BOWLING Washington 3-1-12-1, Bhuvneshwar 2-0-7-1, Khaleel 3-0-22-0, Saini 3-0-27-0, Krunal 3.3-0-23-2, Jadeja 1-0-6-0.
Toss: India. MoM: Krunal.
India won by 22 runs (DL method).
Next match
August 6, third T20I, Providence, 8 p.m. IST
