In the second T20I match of the five-match series, West Indies defeated India by two wickets at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
Hardik Pandya won the toss and asked the home team to bowl first. West Indies provided a decent outing for their fans yet again as they were managing to pick wickets at regular intervals. Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph and Akeal Hosein all aided to restrict India to just 152/7 in 20 overs.
In the chase, West Indies had a poor start as they lost two quick wickets in the first over itself. It was then Nicholas Pooran (67) who helped the side get through the tough phase with a brilliant half century. Pooran hit six fours and four sixes which somehow gave the side assurance of another victory in the series. Along with Pooran, skipper Rovman Powell (21) also contributed a few runs when things were tough in the middle. Both batters scored 57 runs for the fourth wicket stand courtesy of some quick running between the wickets and a few boundaries here and there. While the chase appeared to be straightforward, there was another surprise. The Men in Maroon lost too many wickets towards the end which could have been a massive blunder. Nonetheless, Hosein (16*) and Joseph (10*) scored the all-important runs which took WI over-winning mark with seven balls to spare.
For India with the bat, Ishan Kishan (27) provided a strong start yet again. Tilak Verma (51) showcased another excellent knock and scored his maiden T20I fifty. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya (24) and Axar Patel (14) also scored a few runs at the end which helped the side reach over 150 runs.
With the ball for the West Indies, the side had a decent outing as Akeal, Joseph and Shepherd acquired two wickets each.
While defending, Pandya stuck three wickets while Yuzvendra Chahal grabbed two. One wicket each was also taken by Mukesh Kumar and Arshdeep Singh.
Nicholas Pooran was adjudged Player of the Match for his clinical show with the bat. Following this win, West Indies are now 2-0 up in the series.
Scorecard:
India: 152/7, Overs 20, Tilak Verma 51, Alzarri Joseph 2/28
West Indies: 155/8, Overs 18.5, Nicholas Pooran 67, Hardik Pandya 3/35