Lauderhill (Florida) Lauderhill (Florida) 7 : Young India pacers, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh bowled with discipline as the visitors beat West Indies by 59 runs to take an unbeatable 3-1 advantage in the five-match T20I series on Sunday (IST).On a day that wicketkeeper-batters Rishabh Pant (44) and Sanju Samson (30) together with captain Rohit Sharma (33) provided the visitors with an impressive 191 to defend, the tall Arshdeep scored three wickets as did Avesh picked up two wickets while the West Indies innings folded up to the tally of 132 in the closing over of their innings, helping India finish the series.
India had earlier completed an unbeatable sweep of the ODI series, which lasted for three games.
India captain Rohit Sharma did not show any signs of the back spasm he was fighting in the third match of the series.
he helped the hosts begin their great start in Florida along with his fellow opener Suryakumar Yadav.
The pair hit 50 without losing in the fifth over with Sharma in particular showing his aggressiveness by slamming three sixes in an enthralling innings that scored 33 runs.
The scoring was more difficult for India in the middle overs, however, Pant (44) and Sanju Samson (30 not out) batted with aplomb when needed to ensure India posted 191/5.
India may have done their research on Obed McCoy, as McCoy, the West Indies pacer was smashed all over the place, conceding an astonishing 66 runs in his four overs, five days after he had picked an unbeaten six wicket haul.
In the first game of the series on Monday, McCoy recorded the highest score ever scored by an West Indies bowler in a T20I (6/17) however, it seemed like a long time ago as India’s batsmen hammered the pacer.
Sharma and Yadav took 25 off McCoy’s opening over, and Axar Patel scored two massive sixes in the final over of the innings, to round off an unsatisfactory performance for the fast.
The Caribbean side was going to require one of their top players to score a big score to have a chance of surpassing India’s score but it didn’t happen because West Indies continually lost wickets and never really threatened to reach the winning target.
Skipper Nicholas Pooran and middle-order batter Rovman Powell topped the scoring with 24 runs each, with inexperienced pacer Arshdeep Singh (3/12) running through West Indies’ tail to secure the series-winning victory.
It was a superb performance from India’s formidable bowling line-up with Avesh Khan (2/17), Ravi Bishnoi (2/27) and Axar (2/48) all chipping in with two wickets each.
Brief score: India 191/5 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 33, Rishabh Pant 44, Sanju Samson 30 not out; Obed McCoy 2/66, Alzarri Joseph 229) defeated West Indies 132 in 19.1 overs (Avesh Khan 2/17, Axar Patel 2/48, Arshdeep Singh 3/12, Ravi Bishnoi 227) by 59 runs.
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