India’s lower-order failed to capitalise on a flying start from their openers, but still managed to post a challenging 190 for six batting first against the West Indies in the one-off T20 international at Sabina Park on Sunday.
Skipper Virat Kohli (39 off 22 balls) and Shikhar Dwahan (23 off 12) led the charge after they were put in to bat by Carlos Brathwaite in Jamaica, with the pair putting on 64 for the first wicket until both fell in the sixth over of the innings.
Kohli miscued a lofted stroke to Sunil Narine at mid-on while Kesrick Williams effected a run out off his own bowling, throwing down the stumps at the non-striker’s end to find Dhawan short of his ground.
In just his second T20 international, Rishabh Pant struggled to get going but it was the experienced Dinesh Karthik who dominated an 86-run third-wicket stand before he fell for 48, bowled behind his legs by Marlon Samuels.
His top-score occupied just 29 deliveries and included three sixes and five fours. Despite his dismissal at 151 for three in the 16th over, India still looked on course for a total in excess of 200.
However Jerome Taylor removed Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Pant (38 off 35 balls) off successive deliveries, while Williams claimed his second wicket when he accounted for Kedar Jadhav via a fine diving catch by Narine coming off the backward-point boundary.
With the runs drying up over the next three overs, it was left to a final assault by Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in the last over of the innings bowled by Williams, which cost 18 runs, to lift India within ten runs of the 200 mark.
Despite being outplayed 3-1 in the preceding one-day international series, there is a sense of anticipation among home fans for this duel as it marks the return to West Indies colours of local hero Chris Gayle, the big-hitting opening batsman whose last international appearance was at the World T20 final against England in Kolkata 15 months ago.
From the 13-man squad named for the match, fast bowler Ronsford Beaton and batsman Jason Mohammed were omitted.
India were forced to make a late change to their 11 as all-rounder Hardik Pandya picked up an injury in the morning warm-ups with Jadeja taking his place.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who played a key role in his team’s ODI successes over the previous fortnight, is making his T20 international debut as part of a specialist spin trio that also includes Jadeja and Ashwin.
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