By 
It was an intense thriller of a game that went down to the last over. Despite being a low-scoring match, both West Indies and India displayed outstanding performances and a strong desire to win. In the opening T20 match of the five-match series, West Indies emerged victorious, leading 1-0.
At the start of the day, West Indies won the toss and opted to bat first. India handed T20I debut caps to Tilak Varma and Mukesh Kumar, making Mukesh Kumar the second player after Natarajan to debut in all three formats on tour.
Batting first, West Indies managed to put 149/6 on the scoreboard in their allotted 20 overs. Skipper Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran were the standout performers, scoring 48 off 32 and 41 off 34, respectively. Thanks to their valiant efforts, West Indies reached a respectable total of 150.
Chasing the target of 150, India faced early trouble with the dismissals of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan. However, debutant Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav stabilised the innings. Varma showcased impressive hitting ability and maintained a reasonable strike rate. Unfortunately, the partnership was broken by Jason Holder, who dismissed Suryakumar Yadav. Later, Varma fell to Romario Shepherd after scoring 39 runs.
Skipper Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson were looking to build a partnership, but the slow pitch made it challenging to score boundaries. Jason Holder’s exceptional performance with a maiden in the 16th over resulted in the dismissal of India’s skipper, followed by Sanju Samson’s run-out. Although Axar Patel contributed some runs, he was eventually dismissed. Tail-ender Arshdeep Singh added excitement to the game with a couple of fours in the penultimate over, capitalizing on an extra fielder in the circle due to the host team’s slow over rate.
India fell just short by 4 runs, as West Indies showcased excellent bowling skills throughout the match. They will carry this momentum into the second T20I scheduled to be played in Guyana on August 6th.
Comments