Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill’s record-breaking opening partnership helped India level the five-T20I series 2-2 with a nine-wicket win over West Indies on August 12. On a batting paradise of a wicket, Jaiswal and Gill tormented West Indies bowlers in Lauderhill, Florida to set up the decider on August 13.
Ideal start
Rovman Powell won the toss and opted to bat first. Kyle Mayers punished Axar Patel in the first over hitting him for a six and a four. Arshdeep Singh ended Mayers' stay at the crease. Mayers departed for a 7-ball 17. Brandon King and Shai Hope used the fielding restrictions. Arshdeep came back into the attack and got the wicket of King who scored 18 runs from 16 balls. West Indies had 55/2 on the board after six overs.
Kuldeep’s double blow
Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack and struck twice to dismiss in-form batters Nicholas Poorana and Powell for single-digit scores. Shimron Hetmyer struggled to rotate the strike initially. Hope took on Yuzvendra Chahal in the 10th over. At the halfway stage, West Indies were 79/4. Hetmyer broke the shackles against Pandya and hit him for a six and a four. After three expensive overs, Chahal finished with the wicket of Hope. He scored 45 runs from 29 balls including three fours and two sixes. Similarly, Patel got the wicket of Romario Shepherd in the 15th over.
Hetmyer attacks
In the next over, Jason Holder got bowled by Mukesh Kumar. Mukesh erred and bowled a no ball. Hetmyer punished Mukesh with a six off the next ball. The southpaw got to his third T20I half-century from 35 balls. In the final over, he hit Arshdeep for a six and got out the next ball. The southpaw scored 61 runs from 39 balls including three fours and four sixes. Hetmyer's 61-run knock is the second-highest for West Indies at no.6. It is also the second-highest by a no.6 batter against India. Despite the wicket, Arshdeep was expensive and conceded 17 runs in the last over as West Indies posted 178/8 on the board.
Jaiswal, Gill dominate
India's run chase got off to a blistering start with Jaiswal making up for the lost opportunity in the previous encounter. He found boundaries with ease. In the fourth over, Gill joined him as well. Gill hammered sixes in powerplay overs as India posted 66 on the board in the powerplay overs. The domination continued and India were 100 for no loss at the halfway stage.
In the 11th over, Gill got to his half-century from 30 balls whereas Jaiswal reached his maiden T20I century from 33 balls. The sixes continued and West Indies bowlers had no answer to the rampage they were witnessing from young Indian openers. The partnership was finally broken in the 16th over as Gill was caught in the deep by Hope. He scored 77 runs from 47 balls including three fours and five sixes.
After Gill's wicket, Tilak Varma came to bat instead of Suryakumar Yadav. India won the match by nine wickets with three overs to spare. Jaiswal remained unbeaten for 84 off 51 balls including 11 fours and three sixes.
Partnership records broken
The 165-run partnership is the highest for India in a successful run chase. The previous best belonged to Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant who shared a 130-run stand for third wicket against West Indies in 2018. It is also India's joint second-highest opening partnership. Jaiswal and Gill also broke Pakistan’s Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan’s record for the highest opening partnership (158) against West Indies.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Bangladesh announce 17-member squad for 2023 Asia Cup, Shakib Al Hasan to lead while 22-year-old opener receives maiden call-up
'They will be treated just like the cricket team of any other country': MEA confirms no special arrangements for Pakistan for ODI World Cup
