The five-match T20I series between India and West Indies started on 29 July (Friday) in Trinidad. Team India won quite comfortably to take a 1-0 lead in the series. West Indies fell short of 68 runs and with only 2 wickets in hand batted second.
India put up a splendid target of 190 with the loss of 6 wickets. West Indies crumbled and only managed to score 122 runs losing 8 wickets. Indian captain Rohit Sharma smashed 64 runs in 44 balls at an impressive strike rate of 145.
India lost the coin toss and was put to bat first by the West Indies. Rohit Sharma and first opening the innings for India, Suryakumar Yadav gave an explosive start in the powerplay. Rohit Sharma also moved past Martin Guptill as the leading run scorer inT20 Internationals during his innings. His 64 runs innings included 2 sixes and 7 fours. Indian middle order collapsed in the middle when Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Hardik Pandya fell cheaply in quick succession. Dinesh Kartik and Ravichandran Ashwin finished the innings by putting up a significant partnership of 52 in the last four overs. Dinesh Kartik remained unbeaten with 41 runs in just 19 deliveries hitting 4 fours and 2 sixes.
For the West Indies, Akeal Hosein bowled with an economy of 3.5 with 1 wicket in his 4-over quota. Alzarri Joseph took 2 wickets.
West Indies opener Kyle Mayers started the chase by attacking Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh but succumbed only in the second over of the innings. Jason Holder was promoted at 3 number position but failed miserably scoring a duck in 4 balls. Soon after that West Indies collapsed one after another and could never recover from the early dismissals. Shamarh Brooks was the highest scorer of the innings, scoring meager 20 runs. Followed by Keemo Paul (19), Nicholas Pooran (18), and Kyle Mayers (15). India bowled magnificently throughout the innings and never eased off the pressure. Ravichandran Ashwin, making comeback to the team, took 2 wickets. Arshdeep Singh only playing his 2nd T20I took 2 wickets and Ravi Bishnoi also took 2 wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja scalped 1 wicket each.
Dinesh Kartik for his impactful 41 runs at a strike rate of 215 was given the Player of the Match award.
