Picture : BCCI/ Twitter
Rohit Sharma returned in style as skipper as India outplayed West Indies in the first match of the five – match T20 series by 68 runs at the Brian Lara stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad.
Asked to bat first by West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran , India were off yo a quick start with new pair of Skipper Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. The duo put on 44 for first wicket in 4. 4 overs. SKY fell for 24. Skipper Rohit who had some low scores off- late blasted his way back to dome form with a fine 64 ( 44 balls, 7 fours , 2 sixes) . But the batting struggled in the middle-stages with dismissals of Hardik Pandya ( 1), Shreyas Iyer (0) and Rishabh Pant (14) , Ravindra Jadeja ( 16). But Dinesh Karthik rose to the occasion and played stunning cameo and did t he job of finisher superbly towards the end . Karthik smashed an unbeaten 19 ball 41 ( 4 fours and 2 sixes) and Ravichandran Ashwin noy out on 13 saw India reaching a fighting 190/ 6 in their 20 overs.
For West Indies the bowling figures read : Alzarri Joseph 2/ 46( 4 overs), Obed McCoy 1/ 30 ( 4 overs) , Jason Holder 1/ 50 ( 4 overs) was expensive, Akeal Hosein 1/ 14 ( 4 overs) bowled tight, Keemo Paul 1/ 24 ( 2 overs) , Odean Smith 0/ 18 ( 2 overs)
In reply West Indies were rocked early by quick wickets . Kyle Mayers was out 15 , Jason Holder without disturbing the scorers ( 0). West Indies 27/ 2 in three overs. The innings did not get the momentum and the big innings never came for the West Indies. Skipper Nicholas Pooran ( 18), Rovman Powell ( 14), Shimron Hetmyer ( 14), Shamarh Brooks ( 20) , Keemo Paul not out 19 meant the team slipped to a dismal 122 / 8 in their 20 overs. India winning by a comfortable 68 runs.
Indian bowlers were on top from the start . Young Arshdeep Singh took 2/ 24 ( 4 overs) , Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/ 11 ( 2 overs) , Ravindra Jadeja 1/ 26 ( 4 overs), Ravichandran Ashwin 2/22 ( 4 overs) , Ravi Bishnoi 2/ 26 ( 4 overs) , Hardik Pandya 0/ 12 ( 2 overs)
