India overcome Pooran-Powell attack to seal T20I series

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Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell were sublime in the chase, almost taking the game away from India but a super over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar at the death helped the hosts in holding their nerve till the end.

West Indies started their chase of 187 steadily. Openers Brandon King and Kyle Mayers shared a 34-run stand before Yuzvendra Chahal caught-and-bowled Mayers for 9 in the sixth over. The visitors finished the Powerplay on 41/1 with Nicholas Pooran in the middle with King.

Pooran showed his intent from the very first ball he faced, hitting Chahal for a four. He continued his hard-hitting, sending the first two balls of the next over, by Harshal Patel, to a six and a four.

Rohit Sharma brought Ravi Bishnoi into the attack in the ninth over and got a reward in the form of King's wicket. Bishnoi delivered the ball straight down the track, with King in an attempt to go big, ending up getting caught at long-on for 22.

The wicket did not hurt the West Indies much as Pooran was joined in the middle by the No.4 batter Rovman Powell. Together they led the charge with splendid power-hitting, leading up to a brilliant century stand.

Pooran, who starred with the bat for West Indies in the previous T20I with a half-century, brought up another one. Powell, too, reached his fifty a couple of balls later, getting to the mark off just 28 balls. The duo almost took the game away from India but Buvneshwar Kumar stood up under pressure for his team.

In the penultimate over, he not only claimed the big wicket of Pooran, but he also gave away just four runs. West Indies needed 25 from the last over and a Carlos Brathwaite's 'Remember the name' like finish from Powell. With 23 needed from the last four balls, Powell smashed Harshal Patel for two back-to-back sixes, coming as close to a dream finish before falling 9 runs short of the target.

Earlier, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard, who made his 100th T20I appearance, won the toss and opted to bowl first. The visitors made one change to their side with Jason Holder coming in in place of Fabian Allen while India were unchanged.

After an 11-run first over, India lost Ishan Kishan off Sheldon Cottrell for 2 in the next over. The opener’s leading-edge landed comfortably in the hands of Kyle Mayers at point.

Kishan’s wicket brought in Virat Kohli at No.3. The Rohit-Kohli duo then started the onslaught, dealing mostly in boundaries in the remaining overs of the Powerplay.

But their solid second-wicket partnership of 49 runs was ended by Roston Chase in the eighth over. Brandon King, who dropped Rohit when he was on 2, claimed the catch with the India skipper walking back to the pavilion after making 19.

One brought two for Chase as he struck in his next over, taking a good low catch to send Suryakumar Yadav back for 8. Kohli found some support in Rishabh Pant, as the pair added 34 runs before the latter was dismissed in the 14th over.

Kohli, who looked in good touch brought up his 30th T20I fifty in style with a six but fell in the same over off Chase, who bowled the India batter out for a well-made 41-ball 52.

Pant continued to play his attacking game and his partner, Venkatesh Iyer, also played some beautiful strokes. Together they changed the gears as runs flowed in bulk for India. Pant went on to score an unbeaten 28-ball 52 while Iyer was dismissed in the last over by Romario Shepherd for a quick 18-ball 31.