Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

PIX: How India got the better of Windies in first T20I

November 05, 2018 10:59 IST

IMAGE: Krunal Pandya, left, and Dinesh Karthik celebrate after winning the first T20I against West Indies. Photograph: PTI

Dinesh Karthik anchored a tricky chase with a measured unbeaten 31 as India beat West Indies by five wickets in the first Twenty20 International to go 1-0 up in the three-match series in Kolkata on Sunday.


Having restricted West Indies to a below-par 109-8, India suffered a top order collapse of their own but Karthik stayed put to guide the hosts home with 13 balls to spare at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

 

All-rounder Krunal Pandya made a memorable debut, claiming the important wicket of Kieron Pollard before returning to score 21 not out off just nine balls, including the winning runs.

Krunal Pandya

IMAGE: Krunal Pandya plays the reverse sweep. Photograph: PTI

Despite the presence of a host of swashbuckling batsmen on both sides, the bowler-dominated contest featured only two sixes - one from each team.

Put into bat, the first 49 runs cost West Indies the top half of their batting order at the midway stage of their innings.

Opener Shai Hope fell victim to a comical run out when he and Shimron Hetmyer both ended up being on the non-striker's end.

Hetmyer outsprinted Hope to secure his wicket but could not make the most of it and fell for 10.

Khaleel Ahmed

IMAGE: Pacer Khaleel Ahmed celebrates a wicket. Photograph: PTI

Pollard hit the only six of the innings but Pandya sent him back before the batsman could inflict more damage on the Indians.

Kuldeep Yadav then ripped the heart out of the West Indies middle order with his triple strikes as the touring batsmen struggled to read the unorthodox left-arm spinner.

Fabian Allen topscored for the tourists with 27 to take them past the 100-mark.

IMAGE: India's players celebrate the dismissal of Shai Hope. Photograph: PTI

India's reply was equally wobbly with the hosts looking ill at ease against the pace of Oshane Thomas.

Bowling consistently above 145 kph, the paceman drew first blood when he dismissed India captain Rohit Sharma caught behind for six. West Indies successfully reviewed the original not-out decision after the on-field umpire had failed to detect the slight edge.

IMAGE: Krunal Pandya, left, celebrates with team-mates after taking the wicket of Kieron Pollard. Photograph: PTI

Thomas devoured Shikhar Dhawan, the other opener, with another thunderbolt and then skipper Carlos Brathwaite struck twice to jolt the hosts.

Karthik first revived India's chase with Manish Pandey (19) and then found an able ally in Pandya, whose clever and nerveless batting stood out.

The teams move to Lucknow for the second match on Tuesday.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.