Guyana, Aug 7 (FN AGency) Nicholos Pooran 67 off 40 balls ensured West Indies register an exciting 2 wickets victory over India in the second T20I at Providence Stadium here on Sunday. With this win, West Indies lead the five-match T20I series 2-0 against India. The visitors had lost the first T20I at Trinidad’s Brian Lara Stadium on August 3. The fourth wicket partnership of 57 runs between Pooran and Rovman Powell played a stellar role in Windies victory, after they were struggling at 32/3 in 3.4 overs. Also tailenders Alzarri Joseph and Akeal Hosein’s unbeaten 26 runs partnership for 9th wicket was an occasion to celebrate for the hosts. Tilak Varma’s maiden T20I fifty, and cameos of Hardik Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi helped India set a 153 runs target for West Indies.
India struggled to score swiftly in the first half of their innings, but scored 67 off the last 7 overs. Opener Shubman Gill squandered his innings cheaply once again as he scored 7 runs. He was caught by Shimron Hetmyer off pacer Alzarri Joseph. Suryakumar walked back soon as he was brilliantly run out by Kyle Myers for a run. However, Ishan sketched up a cameo on a sluggish pitch, making 27 off 23 before he was cleaned up by pacer Romario Shepherd. Tilak and Hardik continued with the punch-up etched by Ishan, and soon the Andhra Pradesh boy reached his first fifty in international cricket. He was sent back by Akeal Hosein, caught by Obed McCoy. Tilak became the second youngest Indian player to score T20I fifty behind Rohit Sharma. Rishabh Pant is the third youngest Indian player to achieve the feat.
Rohit had cracked his maiden fifty in T20Is in 2007 T20 World Cup, while Rishabh had done it against West Indies in 2018 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Hardik pressed the gas and executed two sixes in his crucial knock of 24 off 18 balls. Sanju Samson was stumped by Pooran off Hosein for 7. The hosts started the run chase disastrously with Hardik taking two wickets in his first over. He first had Brandon King caught by Suryakumar Yadav inches above the turf at extra-cover, and then snapped Charles, caught by Tilak for 2. Soon Kyle Mayers fell, Pooran counter-attacked in style. As many 18 runs came off the final powerplay, Pooran ensured his team kept their head ahead in the race by smacking boundaries. West Indies were cruising, but Pooran’s dismissal led to a dramatic collapse as West Indies lost 4 wickets for 3 runs in 13 balls. Akeal and Alzarri absorbed pressure and stitched an unbeaten 26-run for the ninth wicket to stop India from levelling the series.