Images from Sunday's second T20 International between India and the West Indies, at Lauderhill, Florida.
Krunal Pandya's all-round exploits and Rohit Sharma's characteristically sublime half-century powered India to a series-clinching 22-run win over the West Indies in a rain-affected second T20 International, in Lauderhill, on Sunday.
Batting first, India scored a challenging 167 for five and then had West Indies in all sorts of trouble at 98 for four in the 16th over when lightning and thundershowers struck.
The Duckworth-Lewis par score at that point was 120, and West Indies were 22 runs behind.
Rovman Powell had kept West Indies in the hunt courtesy of his quickfire 54 from 34 balls to rally the hosts after a few early wickets before Pandya's double strike, in the 14th over, pegged them back.
Rohit top-scored with 67 off 51 balls, setting India up for a challenging total, before Krunal (20 off 13 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja propped up the innings by smashing 20 runs in the final over, bowled by Keemo Paul.
Krunal hit the first two balls of the final over for sixes before Jadeja also slammed a maximum to end the Indian innings on a high.
In the process, Rohit became T20 Internationals' most prolific six-hitter, going past Chris Gayle with 106 maximums. He struck six fours and three sixes in the match.
Sent in to bat, India were off to a quick start as they reached the 50-run mark in the seventh over, with Rohit doing the bulk of scoring.
Rohit found the gaps with ease, clipping Paul off his pads for a six over deep mid-wicket. The World Cup’s highest scorer then swept him for a four as the Indians upped the tempo.
Keemo Paul gave the West Indies the breakthrough when he bowled Shikhar Dhawan, with the Indian scorecard reading 67 for one in the eighth over.
Two quiet overs followed as India captain Virat Kohli joined Rohit, who broke the shackles with a six over deep mid-wicket, Sunil Narine being the bowler, and then brought up his 17th half-century in the T20 format with a single to long-off.
Nicely getting underneath the flight of left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, Kohli got going with a neat six.
Well-settled at the other end, Kohli's deputy Rohit then smashed Carlos Brathwaite for a six and four as India's hundred came up in the 13th over.
It took a fine catch from Shimron Hetmyer to bring an end to Rohit's stay in the middle after he hit one high up off Oshane Thomas with just over six overs left in the Indian innings.
Rishabh Pant (5) perished quickly, top-edging Oshane into the hands of third man fielder Kieron Pollard.
Sheldon Cottrell then had the big one, sending Kohli's middle stump cartwheeling for a 23-ball 28 with a perfectly-executed yorker and performing his trademark salute celebrations.
By that time tough, Kohli became the highest run scorer among Indians in T20 cricket, including domestic tourneys.
© 2024 Rediff.com -