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So that concludes our coverage of this 2nd T20I. Well under 48 hours to go for the third at this very venue - do join us for our coverage of that game right here on Sportskeeda while keeping yourselves updated with all the other cricketing news and action from around the globe. For the moment, this is the duo of Pradeep Somashekar and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. Thank you so much for joining us as we hope you enjoyed our coverage. Have a great week ahead - good night and see you around soon!
Rovman Powell is a happy man and no wonder. Collectively, the West Indies have outperformed India once again today and this victory will taste sweet. They fancy playing this format and with a World Cup beckoning at home next year, they are on the right track. As for India, the series is now on the line. This is a young team and they will learn on the go but they will be tasked with a different challenge altogether in the next game in a couple of days' time.
Rovman Powell (West Indies captain): (On West Indies winning two T20s on the bounce against India since 2016) It's a good position to be to be honest. That's something that is good and hopefully we can keep doing it. We always knew it was going to come down to how we were going to bat the spinners. We batted really well against them in the middle. It was unfortunate as to what happened in the end but just goes to show that T20 is a game of glorious uncertainties. (On giving his bowlers one-over spells) Yeah it is deliberate. Whenever batters go after bowlers you don't go after their first over. You try to assess them and then go after them so I try to give my bowlers just one over at a time. When you're playing wrist-spin, left-handers have a lot of advantage. To limit Chahal, Bishnoi and Kuldeep you need quality left-handers and we're very lucky to have Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran. (On Shepherd) He has been very good. It shows what you can get when you put confidence in players. I've been trying to do that.
Hardik Pandya (India captain): To be very honest, not a pleasing effort with the bat, could've done lot better and the wicket was playing on the slower side, we were not good enough to manage that and get to a good total, like 160 or 170. (On Pooran's form) The way he's been batting, it's difficult to rotate the spinners, the way it's coming out and he goes after from the get go, took the game away from us and we did well to come back in the end. The current combination we have, we will have to bat with seven batters, trust with our top seven to do well and on a good day, you don't need much batters but we need to figure out what we can do about 8,9 and 10, but batters need to take more responsibility. (On Tilak's batting) The way he's been batting, that's something we're looking for and left-hander, gives us the combination to have left right always int he middle, going forward he'll keep getting better.
Nicholas Pooran has been adjudged the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: Satisfied with the performance with the bat, something that I've been working for last couple of years, it's not over till it's over, trying to be consistent, especially when I'm batting good. I wouldn't say it's a purple catch, working for past two years, I've learnt and peaking at the right time, looking at time differently and put the team first. I just believe in skills vs skills, tried to execute and know the bowlers and enjoy the game. Felt like a decent wicket to be honest, all about being positive and if you let bowlers dictate, they'll get on top of you.
Match Summary: West Indies beat India by 2 wickets to go 2-0 up in the series.
Nicholas Pooran 67 (40) | Alzarri Joseph 2/28 (4) Tilak Varma 51 (41) | Hardik Pandya 3/35 (4)
Ever seen a see-saw with a loose fulcrum? This game was similar to that. It see-sawed at will and while the West Indies were in command for a large part of that chase, we so nearly saw another infamous capitulation on their part. But Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph have held their nerve to take their team past the finish line.
India started with a couple of wickets in the opening over with Hardik Pandya removing both Brandon King and Johnson Charles. Truth be told, it was more down to ordinary shot selection with both those deliveries not really harmful in anyway. But Nicholas Pooran then took over and decided to maximize the powerplay in the company of Kyle Mayers before the latter got a tough one with ball tracking vindicating the on-field umpire's call,
As long as Pooran was out there though, there was no stopping the West Indies. He tore into Ravi Bishnoi and unleashed the big shots frequently off deliveries in the slot. Skipper Rovman Powell looked in decent touch himself before perishing although Pooran had an able partner in Shimron Hetmyer, notching up a half-century along the way and ensuring that the West Indies remained ahead of the eight-ball.
Wickets were the only way India were going to claw back. Even as they dismissed Pooran though, they were on the back foot although the West Indian batters then imploded with a horrific Romario Shepherd run out followed by two beautiful deliveries by Yuzvendra Chahal that reduced the hosts to 129/8 in the 16th over, leaving the game in the balance.
It was all about nerves thereafter and Hosein and Joseph held theirs to take it deep and get the job done. Hardik's decision making came under the scanner as he backed the inexperienced Mukesh Kumar ahead of Chahal, who didn't bowl his final over especially on the back of that brilliant one he sent down in the 16th. He was held for the last over but alas, India couldn't even drag the game that far with Hosein sealing the deal with a drill down the ground. Stick around for the presentation...
2-0 it is in favor of the West Indies! Akeal Hosein closes his ears to shut out the noise. He has won a thriller for his side and in such clever fashion. Such outstanding game awareness under pressure and he has taken the hosts home. What a game!
18.5 Mukesh Kumar to Akeal Hosein, FOUR! SMASHED! West Indies go 2-0 up in the series, they think, they just got out of jail in the end. Length delivery on the fourth stump, Hosein thrashes it past mid-off and races to the fence as they seal the game in style!
150 up for the West Indies! And such clever batting from Hosein as he goes over the infield. 2 needed off 8...
18.4 Mukesh Kumar to Akeal Hosein, back of a length on the middle and off, Hosein whacked it over mid-wicket and they come back for another brace.
Around the wicket comes Mukesh.
Hosein hobbled along to the striker's end here. With each run scored, the move to not bowl Chahal's out earlier is looking poor from India's point of view. 4 needed off 9...
18.3 Mukesh Kumar to Alzarri Joseph, yorker length on the off-stump, Joseph camps back and drills it down to long-on for a single. West Indies just need four to win now!
Did it land on the cushions on the full? Oh this is one long, hard look that the TV umpire is having. And six it is! Just one more such strike and it's 2-0 to the West Indies!
18.2 Mukesh Kumar to Alzarri Joseph, SIX! Short into the batter, Joseph nonchalantly has clubbed it to deep square-leg and might've gone all the way here. Umpire goes upstairs to check this. That bounces just inside the ropes, but third-umpire signals it a maximum in the end! Quite shocking this is!
18.1 Mukesh Kumar to Akeal Hosein, short and wide of off-stump from around the wicket, Hosein cuts it hard to deep covers for just one.
Mukesh to bowl the 19th ahead of Chahal. That's a big call by Hardik!
An over that is such a massive one for the West Indies when you consider the fact that they've kept their remaining wickets intact while bringing the asking rate down to a run-a-ball. Two big strikes for either side - although in a different context - will seal the deal. Gosh what a game we've had! West Indies require 12 runs to win off 12 deliveries at 6.00 RPO.
18
overs
141/8score
4
1
0
2
1
1
runs
Akeal Hosein*
9(7)
Alzarri Joseph
3(6)
Arshdeep Singh
1/34
17.6 Arshdeep Singh to Akeal Hosein, OH! Bangs in the short delivery, climbs into Hosein but he handles it well. Hops on his toes and guides it down to third-man to keep the strike.
Video
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N Pooran
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Akeal Hosein
*
Arshdeep Singh
Providence Stadium, Guyana
