India beat West Indies by 8 runs in the second T20 International to take an unassailable 2-0 in the three-match series in Kolkata on Friday.
Set to chase 186, West Indies needed 29 off the last two overs. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel kept their calm to bowl India to win the match and series.
Kumar and Deepak Chahar kept the openers Brandon King and Kyle Mayers in check till the former drove down the ground. King and Mayers slammed a boundary each till Yuzvendra Chahal separated the duo in the final over of power-play. Chahal cramped Mayers for room, leading in the attempted flick giving a top-edge to the leg-spinner for an easy catch.
Pooran, who slammed a fifty in the first match, hit boundaries off Chahal and Patel to kickstart his innings. He was also fortunate in surviving a run-out attempt from Kohli. West Indies’ struggle against spin continued as King skipped down the pitch to loft but holed out to long-on off Ravi Bishnoi.
Pooran received another life at 21 when Bishnoi dropped his catch off Chahal. To rub salt into the wound, Pooran slammed a colossal slog-sweep over deep square leg for six. Pooran then crunched Chahar for a fierce pull through deep mid-wicket. Powell, on the other hand, slammed a six each off Chahar and Bishnoi over long leg and long-off respectively to keep West Indies in the hunt.
Powell and Pooran collected a four each off Bishnoi as West Indies now needed 63 runs off the last five overs. Powell was given a reprieve at 38 when Kumar couldn’t complete a catch off his own bowling. In the next over, Powell smoked Chahar over deep mid-wicket, which was followed by Pooran reaching his second fifty on the trot in 34 balls with a six over fine leg.
Powell reached his fifty in 28 balls as Pooran snatched a four off Patel to bring the equation to 29 runs off the last two overs. In a bid to go big, Pooran miscued the slog off Kumar and Bishnoi, under pressure at cover, held on to the catch. Kumar gave away just four runs in a brilliant 19th over.
But Powell hammered back-to-back sixes, including a 102-m hit, over long-on, to keep Patel under pressure. Patel, unfazed by the sixes, held his nerve to concede two singles in the last two balls to seal the series for India.
India posted a challenging 186 for five against the West Indies after being put in to bat.
India vs West Indies, 2nd T20I – HIGHLIGHTS
Virat Kohli was back among runs with a fifty while Rishabh Pant smashed a quick-fire unbeaten 52 to lift India to a challenging 186 for five in their second T20I against the West Indies, here on Friday.
Chasing their 100th T20I win, India, early on, were guided by Kohli who took charge of the proceedings after Roston Chase exposed the Indian middle order.
Kohli hit his 30th fifty in the shortest format, his first since the 57 versus Pakistan in the T20 World Cup on October 24 last year.
The former captain’s sheer elegance was on full display as he cut, pulled and also took the aerial route en route to his 41-ball 52 that had seven fours and one six.
Luck also favored Kohli on the day as the former skipper brought up his 30th T20I fifty with a slog over long-on after Jason Holder failed to get hold of the catch as the ball went over the boundary.
But Kohli failed to make it big and was cleaned up by Chase two balls later after the Windies off-spinner breached his gate for his third wicket.
Chase was impressive in the middle overs to return with 3/25 and which included the wickets of Rohit Sharma (19) and Suryakumar Yadav (8).
Thereafter it was Pant and Venkatesh Iyer (33 from 18 balls) show on offer as they took charge on the likes of Kieron Pollard and Romario Shepherd in their 76-run partnership from 35 balls.
Pant (52 off 28 balls) brought up his third fifty in T20Is with a double in the penultimate delivery of the innings, taking just 27 balls to get to the milestone.
Earlier India got off to a slow start with Sheldon Cottrell bowling four dots on the trot before dismissing Ishan Kishan in the second over of the day.
Kishan, who was the most expensive buy of the IPL 2022 mega auction, looked listless and under pressure to continue his poor form and departed for two after his 10-ball stay.
But thereafter it was Kohli show at the sparsely-crowded Eden as the former India skipper delighted his fans with his elegant timing and strokeplay.
Getting off the mark with a boundary with a whip to the square leg boundary, Kohli found his timing early on and got a second boundary in the same over of Akeal Hossain.
Kohli was the aggressor and skipper Rohit was happy to play the second fiddle as the duo took India’s score to almost 50 in the first six overs.
There was a clear shift in India’s batting in the powerplay as the duo were not afraid to take the aerial route.
Rohit departed for 19 in 18 balls after a fine partnership with Kohli that yielded 49 runs from 36 balls before Chase gave the breakthrough in his first over removing the Indian skipper after inducing a thick leading edge to be caught at the point.
In his next over, Chase accounted for Suryakumar to expose India’s middle over but Kohli ensured that there was no further damage.
Brief Scores:
India: 186 for 5 in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 52 not out, Virat Kohli 52; Roston Chase 3/25). West Indies 178/3 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 62; Rovman Powell 68 not out; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/29).
(With inputs from Agencies)
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