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Riding on Suryakumar Yadav's sizzling 65 off 31, India sent West Indies packing by 17 runs in the third and the final T20 match to secure a back-to-back series sweep 3-0 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday (February 20).
Suryakumar's innings which was loaded with seven big sixes and a boundary, made sure India post a formidable target of 185. In reply, the visitors lost Kyle Mayers early as Deepak Chahar (2/15) found the outside edge. He then dismissed Shai Hope (8) in the next over before walking off the field due to an injury. Despite losing two quick wickets, Rovman Powell (25 off 14) and Nicholas Pooran (61 off 47) began by dealing in boundaries. But India fought back quickly; as Harshal Patel (3/22) and Venkatesh Iyer (2/23) picked up two wickets each in quick succession. But Pooran kept his side alive by hitting another 50. Romario Shepherd (29 off 21) joined the onslaught to give Pooran good company, who eventually fell for 61 by Thakur. Harshal and Shardul Thakur (2/33) bagged another as WI ended on 167/9 in 20 overs.
Earlier, with Ruturaj Gaikwad finally getting a game, Rohit Sharma decided to push himself down the order. But the move didn’t quite work out as Gaikwad departed for just 4 runs.
Shreyas Iyer, who was also playing his first game of the series, came out all guns blazing. He crunched a number of boundaries but departed after a 53-run stand with Ishan Kishan.
While Kishan made 34, it turned out to be yet another scratchy innings, one that lasted 31 balls before Roston Chase ended his stay.
Rohit Sharma never really got going, managing just 7 runs off 15 balls before he perished trying to hit a bit shot.
At 98/4 after 15 overs, India were in trouble.
But then the Man of the Match and the Player of the series Suryakumar Yadav & Venkatesh Iyer performed the rescue act. Surya was the destructor-in-chief, and he kept smashing sixes at will. Venkatesh Iyer provided the perfect company at the other end.
With runs coming thick and fast, the West indies had no answer.
Suryakumar did get out off the final ball, but not before his 31-ball 65 that included 7 sixes took India to a mammoth 184. With the ball, India got off to the perfect start with Deepak Chahar getting rid of Kyle Mayers in the very first over. While Chahar had to limp off due to a hamstring issue, it was not before he had the other opener Shai Hope caught nicking. Nicholas Pooran though started where he left off and along with Rovman Powell, put together a 47-run stand for the 3rd wicket. However, Powell’s wicket provided India with a opening and West Indies lost wickets in a heal. At 100/6, West Indies found themselves well behind the 8-ball.
Romario Shepherd did strike a few lusty blows, and Nicholas Pooran too got to his 3rd consecutive fifty of the series.
But it was too little too late and like the previous two occasions, West Indies failed to cross the line yet again, giving Rohit Sharma & his men yet another series sweep.
