The last time Shreyas Iyer scored a T20I half-century before Tuesday was nearly three months ago — an unbeaten 80 against England at Bristol. Since then, he had not crossed 30 in 10 matches, with India’s top three often taking the pressure off him.
Chasing 172, Iyer walked in with India 35/2. India had lost both openers inside the first 21 balls. Roston Chase and Akeal Hosein had found early rhythm with the ball. Iyer absorbed the early pressure before turning the game decisively in India’s favour.
The opening came in the sixth over. Shamar Joseph needed to build on the spinners’ start. Instead, he gave Iyer and India a release. He conceded 12 runs as Iyer went aerial over cover before repeating the treatment against Romario Shepherd. The West Indies kept bowling outside off, but on a pitch offering little movement, Iyer was able to free his arms and find the gaps.
AS IT HAPPENED | INDIA VS WEST INDIES 1ST T20I HIGHLIGHTS
It forced the bowlers to go short. That had been regarded as a weakness in Iyer’s game. On Tuesday, he repeatedly brought out the pull against the rising delivery and found success. He reached his fifty in 28 balls, but the acceleration was only beginning.
After seeing off the pacers, Iyer turned his attention to spin. Hosein was brought back in the 13th over and Iyer gave himself room before launching him over extra cover. The next over brought an assault on Forde, as Iyer struck two sixes before pulling another delivery over the boundary.
He was given a reprieve when Joseph could not hold on to a miscued shot towards long-on. He reached his maiden T20I hundred with a six before India completed the chase in just 14.4 overs.
Kishan’s role
At the other end, Ishan Kishan found himself playing a different role. Walking in at No.3, he did not try to match Iyer’s aggression. Instead, he played the perfect supporting act, rotating the strike and waiting for opportunities to attack.
His first boundary came when he went back to a slightly short delivery from Chase and whipped it through the leg side. Against Joseph, he then found the boundary through cover before taking advantage of another hit-me delivery from the pacer. He pulled Shepherd for a boundary and later cut Hosein through the off side, while his running kept the chase moving.
Walking in at No.3, Kishan did not try to match Iyer’s aggression. Instead, he played the perfect supporting act, rotating the strike and waiting for opportunities to attack. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
There was one moment of drama when Kishan miscued a full toss towards deep cover. Forde appeared to have taken the catch, but the TV umpire ruled that the ball had touched the ground.
By then, however, the partnership had taken complete control. Kishan stayed unbeaten as he and Iyer added 137 for the third wicket, allowing India to race home with 32 balls to spare.
Earlier, India’s spin trio did the heavy lifting after the West Indies threatened to set a daunting score in good batting conditions.
After Arshdeep Singh and Mayank Yadav failed to hit their straps early, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Naman Dhir combined to take seven wickets for 90 runs, recovering from a middle-overs assault by Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford to keep the total manageable.
After Shimron Hetmyer was run out, Axar dismissed Rovman Powell for nought to leave the West Indies 44/3 after six overs. But Hope and Rutherford then shifted the momentum, taking on Kuldeep and forcing Iyer to look elsewhere.
Kuldeep, playing his first T20I since February, conceded 24 in his first two overs as Rutherford lofted him over cover and Hope swept him over wide long-on. Iyer brought him back after Hope’s dismissal at 107/4.
Then came the turnaround. Kuldeep found his lengths and Roston Chase fell lbw, going back to a delivery he should have played forward to. His final two overs cost only nine runs and brought two wickets, including Matthew Forde.
Dhir, meanwhile, made an immediate impact on debut. After being handed the ball, he dismissed Hope for 52 before returning to remove Romario Shepherd and Shamar Springer. His three wickets gave India the control they needed.
Axar’s miserly spell, Kuldeep’s comeback and Dhir’s three wickets ensured India recovered despite the pacers’ indiscipline. The late 36-run
stand between Rutherford and Akeal Hosein gave the West Indies something to defend, but the spinners had already done enough to keep the target within reach.
Brief Scores: West Indies 171 all out in 19.1 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 56, Shai Hope 52; Naman Dhir 3/31, Axar Patel 2/26, Kuldeep Yadav 2/33) lost to India 172/2 in 14.4 overs (Shreyas Iyer 102 not out, Ishan Kishan 37) by 8 wickets.
Walking in at No.3, Kishan did not try to match Iyer’s aggression. Instead, he played the perfect supporting act, rotating the strike and waiting for opportunities to attack. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)
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