West Indies’ Roston Chase, right, and Kyle Mayers embrace after defeating India for four runs in their first T20 cricket match at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa).
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West Indies secured a narrow four-run victory against India at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad on Thursday, taking a 1-0 lead in their five-match T20I series.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, the hosts posted a subpar 149-6 in their allotted 20 overs.
West Indies’ captain Rovman Powell played a crucial role, scoring a 32-ball 48, while Nicholas Pooran supported the innings with 41 runs off 34 balls. Powell’s knock included three fours and as many sixes, while Pooran hit two fours and two sixes.
Earlier in the innings, Brandon King contributed 28 runs before Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh each took two wickets for India.
India’s chase got off to a shaky start, losing openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan during the first powerplay with only 28 runs on the board.
Suryakumar Yadav and debutant Tilak Varma formed a 39-run partnership for the third wicket, providing some stability for India. However, both batsmen fell in quick succession, leaving India at 77-4 after 11 overs. Varma top-scored with 39, while Yadav made 21. Subsequent dismissals of Hardik Pandya (19), Sanju Samson (12), and Axar Patel (13) put India under pressure.
In the final over, India found themselves at 140-8, needing 10 runs to win with Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh at the crease, facing West Indies’ Romario Shepherd.
On the first ball of the over, Shepherd bowled a brilliant yorker to dismiss Yadav. Later in the same over, Singh was run out by Shimron Hetmyer for 11, leaving India to chase six runs off the last ball with just one wicket in hand. However, Shepherd held his nerve, and the final ball was hit for a single by Mukesh Kumar, as India ended up at 145-9, securing the win and giving the hosts a 1-0 series lead.
West Indies’ bowlers also delivered an impressive performance, with Jason Holder standing out, taking 2-19 from his four overs, and Shepherd and Obed McCoy also chipping in with two wickets each.
The second T20I is scheduled to take place on Sunday at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
