PROVIDENCE: A brilliant 67 from Nicholas Pooran eclipsed a maiden international half-century from Tilak Varma as West Indies edged their way to a dramatic two-wicket win over India in the second T20I in Guyana on Sunday.

India struggled to 152-7 after winning the toss and batting first and, in spite of Pooran, appeared to be heading for victory when West Indies lost four wickets for three runs to slip to 129-8.

However, tailenders Alzarri Joseph and Akeal Hosein kept their cool and slogged the winning runs to see the West Indies home.

West Indies take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Varma made 51 before clipping spinner Hosein to fine leg where Obed McCoy pouched the catch.

Varma added 42 for the third wicket with Ishan Kishan (27) as the opener was bowled by Romario Shep­herd.

After the dismissal of Varma it was left to skipper Hardik Pandya with 24 from 18 balls to drag India towards a half-decent target.

West Indies made the worst possible start as Pandya remo­v­ed Brandon King and Johnson Charles in the first over.

Pooran, however, quickly found his range clubbing six fours and four sixes in his 40-ball 67.

Mayers (15) and Powell (21) offered some support and West Indies appe­ar­ed to be in control until Pooran hammered Mukesh Kum­ar to Samson in the covers.

From 126-4, West Indies lost four wickets for just three runs, three of them in the 16th over.

The third of those saw Shimron Hetm­yer (22) eighth man out.

At 129-8, they still needed 24 from four overs remai­n­ing. Joseph and Hosein, however, edged them to victory.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA:

I. Kishan b Shepherd 27

S. Gill c Hetmyer b Joseph 7

S. Yadav run out (Mayers) 1

T. Varma c McCoy b Hosein 51

S. Samson st Pooran b Hosein 7

H. Pandya b Joseph 24

A. Patel c Pooran b Shepherd 14

Ravi Bishnoi not out 8

A. Singh not out 6

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-6) 7

TOTAL (for 7 wickets, 20 overs) 152

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-16 (Gill), 2-18 (Yadav), 3-60 (Kishan), 4-76 (Samson), 5-114 (Varma), 6-129 (Pandya), 7-139 (Patel)

DID NOT BAT: M. Kumar, Y. Chahal

BOWLING: McCoy 4-0-25-0 (2w), Hosein 4-0-29-2, Joseph 4-0-28-2 (1w), Holder 4-0-29-0 (2w), Shepherd 3-0-28-2, Mayers 1-0-12-0 (1w)

WEST INDIES:

B. King c Yadav b Pandya 0

K. Mayers lbw Singh 15

J. Charles c Varma b Pandya 2

N. Pooran c Samson b Kumar 67

R. Powell c Kumar b Pandya 21

S. Hetmyer lbw Chahal 22

J. Holder st Kishan b Chahal 0

A. Hosein not out 16

A. Joseph not out 10

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-1) 2

TOTAL (for 8 wickets, 18.5 overs) 155

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (King), 2-2 (Charles), 3-32 (Mayers), 4-89 (Powell), 5-126 (Pooran), 6-128 (Shepherd), 7-128 (Holder), 8-129 (Hetmyer)

DID NOT BAT: R. Shepherd, O. McCoy

BOWLING: Pandya 4-0-35 3, Singh 4-0-34-1, Kumar 3.5-0-35-1, Bishnoi 4-0-31-0, Chahal 3-0-19-2 (1w)

RESULT: West Indies won the match by two wickets.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2023