West Indies takes 2-0 lead in T-20 Series

Left-hander Nicholas Pooran struck a Man-of-the-March half-century as West Indies survived a middle-order collapse, to beat India by two wickets and take a critical 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

In pursuit of 153 in the second Twenty20 International in Guyana, West Indies overhauled their target with seven balls to spear with Pooran top-scoring with 67 off 40 deliveries.

However, the victory appeared unlikely when the home side shockingly lost four wickets for three runs in the space of 13 deliveries, to swiftly decline to 129 for 8 at the end of the 16th over.

But Akeal Hosein with 16 not out and Alzarri Joseph, 10 not out held their nerve in an unbroken ninth wicket stand of 26 with Hosein clinching victory by thumping seamer Mukesh Kumar to the long off boundary in the penultimate over.

The victory put West Indies in sight of their first success in a multi-match T20 series against India in 7 years.

Opting to bat first, India slumped to 18 for two in the fourth over before left-hander Tilak Varma top scored with 51 from 41 deliveries and opener Ishan Kishan with 27 and captain Hardik Pandya with 24 played supporting knocks, to get the innings up to 152 for 7 from the allocated 20 overs.

Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph with 2-28 got Gill to miscue to Shimron Hetmyer at deep backward point in the third over after being struck for a six in the previous delivery, while Kyle Mayers direct hit at the non-striker’s end in the next over sent Suryakumar Yadav on his way for one.

Ishan led the recovery, striking a brace of fours and sixes in a 23- ball knock, and adding an important 42 for the third with Tilak, who counted 5 fours and a six in his innings.

When Ishan missed a tentative push at seamer Romario Shepherd with 2-28 and was bowled in the 10th over and Sanju Sampson charged spinner Akeal Hosein with 2-29, fluffed his lines and was stumped in the 12th over. Tilak posted a further 38 for the fifth wicket with Pandya to steady the innings. 

West Indies then endured a rocky start, Brandon King’s drive taken low at cover by a diving Suryakumar Yadav off the first ball of the chase from seamer Pandya with 3-35, and Johnson Charles punching the fourth delivery to be caught at point at two for two.

Mayers played down the wrong line and lbw to pacer Arshdeep Singh for 15, West Indies were in further trouble at 32 for three in the fourth over.

Pooran then came to his side’s rescue, pummeling half-dozen fours and 4 sixes in a brilliant counter attack, as he put on 57 with Powell for the fourth wicket and 37 with Hetmyer for the fifth wicket.

He reached his 10th  T20I half-century off 29 deliveries in the 10th over but his dismissal at the end of the 14th over, taken on the second attempt by Sampson off seamer Mukesh Kumar and saw West Indies collapse from a comfortable position of 126 for 4 to a nervous 129 for 8.

With the game in the balance, Hosein steered Arshdeep to the backward point boundary in the 18th over before Joseph clobbered Mukesh over the ropes at mid wicket at the start of the penultimate over, to ease the tension and put West Indies within the reach of victory.