WI vs IND: 1st T20I review – Powell, Holder clinch a win for WI
The ongoing multi-format series between the West Indies and India has been full of ups and downs for both sides. The Indian team got off to a positive start to the series, winning the first Test and drawing the second. Furthermore, they continued their momentum in the ODI series as well, only dropping one game.
However, as the T20I series came around, the first game did not go in the favour of Rohit Sharma-led India. In the first T20I, the Windies came in to bat first after winning the toss and the side got off to a subpar start to the game.
Opener Brandon King scored 28 runs in 19 deliveries, but the rest of the top order failed to make an impact as Kyle Mayers and Johnson Charles departed for one and three, respectively. As the top-order crumbled, the knocks of in-form Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell came in clutch as they both scored 41 and 48 runs, respectively to help the Windies score a par 149.
Looking to chase the target down, the Indian team was in for a surprise as the West Indies’ bowling attack overpowered them. After Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill’s early dismissals, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma’s respective knocks of 21 and 39 helped India come close to the target but they eventually slipped as they only managed to score 145 runs and lost the game by a paltry margin of four runs. Romario Shepherd, Obed McCoy, and Jason Holder impressed during the run chase, taking two wickets each, with Akeil Hosein striking once.
Top performers:
Rovman Powell: Skipper Rovman Powell was undoubtedly the best batter from the first T20I. Coming in to bat under pressure after the top-order’s collapse, Powell played a brilliant knock of 48 runs in 32 deliveries to help his side reach a respectable total in the first innings.
Jason Holder: Veteran pacer Jason Holder was the best bowler from the first T20I, getting the Player of the Match award. Holder’s spell was crucial in limiting the Indian team and the Windies winning the game. Bowling four overs, Holder took two wickets and conceded just 19 runs in the process.
What’s next for both teams?
The West Indies and India continued their five-match T20I series, as they face each other in the second T20I on Sunday, August 6.
