Rohit, Rahul and Kohli’s sixathon in India’s win
Mumbai, India - Skipper Virat Kohli led the sixes charge with seven hits over the fence to set up India's series-clinching 67-run win over the West Indies in the third Twenty20 international on Wednesday.
Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul and Kohli, who smashed an unbeaten 70 off 29 balls, combined to hit 16 sixes between them as the hosts posted 240 for three in Mumbai.
The Indian bowlers then kept the West Indies to 173 for eight to win the three-match series 2-1.
Rohit, who hit 71, and Rahul, who top-scored with 91, put on 135 runs for the opening wicket to lay the platform for India's imposing total. Kohli soon joined the party to flay the West Indies attack as he completed his fifty in just 21 deliveries.
Kohli and Rohit will end the year at the top of the batting charts with 2,633 runs each in all T20I cricket.
West Indies slipped to 17 for three and was forever playing catch-up with the towering runrate despite a valiant 39-ball 68 from skipper Kieron Pollard who hit six off the 12 maximums in the chase.
Pacemen Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Deepak Chahar and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav claimed two wickets each.
‘Hitman’ Rohit led the batting onslaught with an attacking fifty that was brought about with two sixes and a boundary, delighting the home crowd. He became the first Indian batsman to hit over 400 international sixes with his first of five strikes over the fence. West Indies' Chris Gayle leads the sixes show with 534 across all three formats.
Rohit finally fell while attempting another big heave to be caught by Hayden Walsh Jr off Kesrick Williams.
Four balls later, Pollard got wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant trudging back to the pavilion for nought to check India's surge but Rahul remained firm.
Rahul, who completed his third fifty in four T20I innings and hit four sixes in his 56-ball knock, then put on 95 runs with Kohli before getting out in the last over.
West Indies also suffered an injury blow after Evin Lewis hurt his right knee while fielding and did not return to bat with the team management saying the opening batsman has ‘soft tissue damage’.
The two teams will next play three one-day internationals (ODIs) on December 15 (Chennai), Dec 18 (Visakhapatnam) and Dec 22 (Cuttack).
Agarwal replaces Dhawan for ODIs
India batsman Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the ODIs against the West Indies after sustaining a ‘deep cut’ to his left knee, a BCCI statement said on Wednesday.
“Opener Mayank Agarwal will replace Dhawan, who injured himself while batting during the domestic Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 championship,” the statement added.