Hitman puts Windies to the sword as India clinch series
lucknow — Inspired by captain Rohit Sharma’s brilliant hundred and a smart display by their bowlers, India clinched the T20I series against the West Indies with a thumping 71-run win in the second game at the brand new stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday.
India, after being put into bat, made 195/2 in 20 overs, thanks to Rohit’s unbeaten 111.
Then their bowlers restricted the visitors to 124/9 in 20 overs.
Earlier skipper Rohit smashed his fourth Twenty20 international century — the most by any batsman in the format — to propel India to 192 for two against West Indies on Tuesday.
Sharma made an unbeaten 111 off 61 deliveries to give India an imposing total after the hosts were put into bat first in the sec- ond match. The big-hitting Sharma put on 123 runs with opening partner Shikhar Dhawan, who made 43, to pummel the West Indian bowling after paceman Oshane Thomas started with a maiden over. Sharma, who now has 2,203 runs in 86 matches, became India’s highest run-scorer in T20s after surpassing regular captain Virat Kohli (2,102 runs) during his red-hot knock.
He is now the second highest scorer in the world behind New Zealand’s Martin Guptill, on
2,271 runs.
The right-left combination of Sharma and Dhawan, who surpassed 1,000 T20 runs during his 41-ball knock, smashed the balls to all parts of the huge ground before the first wicket fell in the 14th over. Dhawan, who survived a dropped catch on 28, finally fell to spinner Fabien Allen as Nicholas Pooran took a diving catch at long leg.
Sharma then launched an attack as he hit eight fours and seven sixes during his entertaining blitz in front of a raucous home crowd.
Lokesh Rahul, unbeaten on 26, had the best view when Sharma reached his century in the last over of the innings with a boundary off his opposite number in Carlos Brathwaite. — AFP