Following a defeat in their last game, India bounced back on Tuesday (August 2) to win their third T20I against the West Indies by seven wickets at Warner Park, St. Kitts. With the convincing triumph, India now hold a 2-1 lead in the ongoing five-match T20I series.
After choosing to bowl first, India restricted the hosts to 164/5. Kyle Mayers, with his terrific 73 run-knock, top-scored for the Windies. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers for India, claiming two scalps in his quota of four overs.
Chasing a total of 165, India won the game with an over to spare, thanks largely to Suryakumar Yadav's match-winning knock of 76(44). He made the chase look easy and was awarded as the Player of the Match as well. With their 19-over chase, India registered the highest successful run-chase in T20Is in St. Kitts.
On that note, let's take a look at the hits and flops from the third T20I between West Indies and India.
#4. Flop - Shreyas Iyer (India)
For the third consecutive time in the series, Shreyas Iyer failed to impress with the bat. With no Virat Kohli in the mix, Iyer had a golden opportunity to spend some time at the crease and mount runs for the Men in Blue.
However, after scoring a 0 and 10 in the first two games, Iyer wasn't at his best in the third fixture as well. Coming in at No.3, Iyer battled hard but could only score 24 runs off 27 balls. He struggled during his stay and struck at a strike rate of just 88.8, with the help of two boundaries.
With players like Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan waiting in the wings, the pressure will now surely catch up to Iyer. He will look to make amends if handed another opportunity in the next game.
#3. Hit - Kyle Mayers (West Indies)
One player who has beetheir standout performer across formats for West Indies in recent times is Kyle Mayers. The Barbados-born dasher once again shone in the recently-concluded T20I and scored a brilliant 50-ball 73 in the first innings.
Mayers was in a dangerous mood right from the very beginning and used the first six overs to his advantage. The southpaw punished the Indian bowlers with eight fours and four maximums.
Mayers nullified the threat of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and took a full toll on the Indian seamers. His highest T20I score was critical to his side as the next best batter for the West Indies was Nicolas Pooran with 23 runs.
#2. Flop - Avesh Khan (India)
If there has been one major concern for India in the series so far, it has been the poor bowling showing of Avesh Khan. In his 12 international games so far, the young speedster has experienced more bad days than good ones.
After failing to impress in the previous game, Avesh proved to be expensive once more on Tuesday. He looked intent on bowling back of the length deliveries, with his pace being cannon fodder for the batters. On other occasions, he overpitched with as many as four sixes coming off his bowling.
The tall Madhya Pradesh lad bowled three overs and gave away 47 runs at an alarming economy of 15.7 (worst economy for India in T20I after bowling at least two overs). Avesh's bowling average now reads almost 35 in T20Is. India, however, will hope the 25-year-old bounces back strongly and comes good in upcoming games.
#1. Hit - Suryakumar Yadav (India)
Irrespective of his batting position, Suryakumar Yadav never looks like he is far away from an entertaining yet crucial knock. Coming out to open for the third consecutive time, the flamboyant batter put aside his failures in the previous two games and played a sumptuous knock of 76 runs off 44 balls.
Suryakumar made batting look extremely easy on the track, which deteriorated as the game progressed. While playing his typically unusual shots, the right-hander left no room for error for the Caribbean bowlers. He scored all around the park and showcased his wide range of shots, clobbering eight boundaries and as many as four flavourful sixes.
By the time Suryakumar was holed out on the boundary in the 15th over, India were already on the doorstep of another commanding victory.
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