India Seal T20I Series as Shreyas Iyer Delivers Under Pressure
India went on to defeat West Indies in the series decider by 8 runs. After batting first, India displayed strong batting performances, to score 198/5 in 20 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s impressive spells helped India to restrict the visitors in this game.
Pitch and Weather
The match will be played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which is expected to be a true batting surface with good pace and short boundaries to support aggressive batting. Fast bowlers will be able to find some movement with the new ball, while the batsmen will be able to do well when they settle. Spinners will be facing a challenge, but variations and change of pace will be effective in the middle overs. Warm, partly cloudy conditions are expected, with some humidity and a possibility of evening dew.
Toss
West Indies win the toss and decide to bowl first. Shai Hope backs his bowling line-up to restrict India from scoring well, and eventually chase down the target under the dew conditions.
Lineups
India: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav
West Indies: Shai Hope (C), Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Shamar Springer, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph
Match Report
India had an aggressive start with the bat, as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson took advantage of the field restrictions. Samson attacked the seamers while Abhishek found boundaries on the off side, helping the team to score 63/1 in six overs. Shamar Joseph broke the stand by removing Abhishek for 32, as Samson attacked before losing his wicket at 45.
Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer rebuilt the innings by rotating strike against Roston Chase, before they accelerated against the pacers. Kishan lost his wicket after scoring 38, as Tilak Varma gave a late boost by scoring 29 runs off 15 balls. India finished setting a total of 198/5, giving a challenging target.
West Indies had a good start in the chase, as Shai Hope and Jewel Andrew went on to score well. The duo had a 52-run stand, before Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Andrew for 24. Hope went on to attack the bowlers, as Hetmyer targeted the short boundaries to keep the required rate under control.
India was able to stitch a comeback as Axar Patel removed Hope for 41, and Mayank Yadav removed Rovman Powell shortly after. Hetmyer went on to score 47 runs off 25 balls, as he kept the chase alive.
West Indies needed 48 runs from the final four overs, as Nitish Kumar Reddy removed Hetmyer and Bhuvneshwar produced a disciplined 19th over. The team needed 20 runs off the final over, as they managed to score only 12.
Player of the Match
Shreyas Iyer won the Player of the Match award for scoring 44 runs off 27 balls, which helped India to post down a strong total.