The West Indies secured a thrilling two-wicket victory over India in the second Twenty20 international in Providence on Sunday, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Nicholas Pooran played a pivotal role in the triumph, smashing 67 off just 40 balls.
Pooran Powers West Indies To 2-0 Lead Over India In T20 Series
Opting to bat first, India relied on Tilak Varma’s impressive 51 to push them past the 150-run mark. Captain Hardik Pandya (24) and opener Ishan Kishan (27) also contributed to the total.
However, the West Indies bowlers performed admirably to restrict India to a modest 152-7. Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, and Romario Shepherd were the standout bowlers, each claiming two wickets.
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Reflecting on India’s batting performance, Pandya admitted, “That was not a pleasing batting performance by us. The wickets were falling and the track was on the slower side. We were not good enough to get to 160+.”
The West Indies faced an early stumble in their chase, but Nicholas Pooran took charge and anchored their innings with an explosive knock before getting dismissed by Mukesh Kumar.
“I’m satisfied that I performed. The beauty of the game is it is never over till it’s over,” said Pooran, who was named the Player of the Match. He had also scored 41 runs in the first T20I.
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“The score didn’t matter to me as long as I was batting. It was about being smart and controlling the game. I felt like it was a decent wicket, and we are accustomed to getting such wickets here. The bowlers are going to give you half-volleys, full tosses.”
Throughout their innings, the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals, with Hardik Pandya picking up three crucial scalps. However, tail-enders Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph combined to add 26 vital runs, ultimately guiding the West Indies to victory with seven balls to spare.
The third T20 match will take place at the same venue on Tuesday.