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5th T20I PIX: Iyer, spinners help India rout WI, win series 4-1

Last updated on: August 08, 2022 00:08 IST

Images from the fifth T20 International between West Indies and India at Lauderhill, Florida, on Sunday

Kuldeep Yadav celebrates with teammates after dismissing Nicholas Pooran

IMAGE: Kuldeep Yadav celebrates with teammates after dismissing Nicholas Pooran. Photograph: ICC/Twitter

Shreyas Iyer roared back to form with a stroke-filled 64 while the spinners picked up all the 10 wickets as India recorded yet another one-sided 88-run victory over West Indies to wrap up the five-match T20 International series by a comprehensive 4-1 margin in Lauderhill, Florida on Sunday.

 

It was Iyer's half-century and useful contributions from Deepak Hooda (38 off 25 balls) and stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya's (28 off 16 balls) cameo that propelled India to 188 for 7 in 20 overs after being put in to bat.

Then, Pandya handed the new ball to Axar Patel (3-1-15-3), who quickly removed makeshift opener Jason Holder (0), Shamarah Brooks (13) and Devon Thomas (10) with three arm balls on a track where balls stopped and gripped off the surface.

Shimron Hetmyer struck a quick 54  

IMAGE: Shimron Hetmyer struck a quick 54. Photograph: Windies Cricket/Twitter

West Indies were all out for 100 runs inside 16 overs in one of the most lopsided T20I bilateral series, although India won't be complaining having ticked most of the boxes.

Once Kuldeep Yadav (4-1-12-3) caught rival skipper Nicholas Pooran (3) plumb in-front with a flighted delivery, there was no way that the West Indies could have made a comeback on a track which wasn't easy for batting.

Ravi Bishnoi was the pick of the bowlers for India with figures of 4 for 16 

IMAGE: Ravi Bishnoi was the pick of the bowlers for India with figures of 4 for 16. Photograph: ICC/Twitter

It started getting slower with the passage of time and despite Shimron Hetmyer's (56 off 35 balls) resistance, it was never going to be enough as the Caribbean batting line-up never had the wherewithal to cope with the quality of Indian spinners.

Ravi Bishnoi (2.4-0-16-4) also got into the act and snapped his share of wickets as India's spin troika varied their lengths and pace with ease to keep the Windies batters on tenterhooks.

Shreyas Iyer

IMAGE: Shreyas Iyer slammed a blistering 40-ball 64. Photograph: ICC/Twitter

Earlier, Shreyas Iyer released the pressure piling on him with a blistering 40-ball 64 as the Indian team, even without its regular top-order, scored a commanding 188 for seven against West Indies in the fifth T20 International, in Florida on Sunday.

Stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya (28 off 16 balls) played a nice little cameo to beef up the score in the end with 18 runs coming off the penultimate over bowled by Jason Holder.

Due to lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the match was halted for 15 minutes after 14.3 overs, when India were nicely placed at 135 for three.

Hardik Pandya

IMAGE: Skipper Hardik Pandya (28 off 16 balls) played a nice little cameo. Photograph: ICC/Twitter

Having failed in the first three games and dropped from the fourth, not only did Iyer performed admirably in an unfamiliar position as an opener but also won his little 'battle within battle' with Deepak Hooda (38 off 25 balls), who was equally impressive during his stay at the crease.

The Iyer-Hooda pair added 76 runs in only 7.1 overs and their partnership was nothing short of breathtaking with as many as four sixes (two each) hit between them apart from a flurry of fours.

The innings played a day before the Asia Cup team selection will certainly leave Iyer in a far better mind space although he is certainly going to miss out in the first XI berth when all the 'big boys' turn up.

The bulk of his eight fours and two sixes were all sweetly timed strokes.

Ishan Kishan (11 off 13 balls) failed to make it count and opportunities will be rare in the next two months for the pint-sized Jharkhand dasher.

Iyer teed off against Dominic Drakes with a couple of boundaries while Hooda played a cute little ramp shot over the keeper off Keemo Paul.

West Indies

IMAGE: Due to lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the match was halted for 15 minutes. Photograph: Windies Cricket/Twitter

It was the eighth over bowled by Odean Smith where Iyer launched into the bowler with back-to-back sixes -- a slash over point and a lofted drive over extra cover.

Off the first delivery by leg-spinner Hayden Walsh's very next over, Hooda hit a picturesque inside-out six over extra cover.

However, the shot of the Indian innings was Hooda's lofted drive over Obed McCoy's head for a maximum.

In fact, the Baroda man would be trifle disappointed as he showed right intent while trying to deposit a Walsh half-tracker into cow corner stands but it was the string winds blowing from the opposite direction that became his undoing.

Iyer departed soon after while trying to drag a low wide full-toss from Jason Holder but in the end only managing to offer a simple return catch. 

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