Shreyas Iyer’s maiden T20I ton gives India facile win

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An unbeaten 43-ball 102 from Shreyas Iyer powered India’s winning start to the T20I series as the hosts comfortably chased down West Indies’ 171 in the opening T20I in Lucknow. Iyer’s maiden T20I ton included 6 sixes and 10 fours as India raced to the target in only 14.4 overs, with Ishan Kishan (37* off 27) supporting his skipper in an unbroken 137-run stand for the third wicket to take India over the line.

India were off the blocks quickly in the chase as Abhishek Sharma struck a six and two fours off Matthew Forde in the first over, while Sanju Samson hit a boundary off Akeal Hosein. Abhishek also got a four off Roston Chase before getting out to the spinner for a 10-ball 21. Samson handed a catch back to Hosein in the next over, leaving India at 35 for 2 in the fourth over. Iyer ensured that the remainder of the Powerplay remained profitable in terms of runs, striking four boundaries to take India to 62 for 2 after six overs.

West Indies tried to slow things down with a couple of quiet overs but an expensive 19-run over from Romario Shepherd followed, as Iyer hit three fours and Kishan got a boundary. By the end of the 10th over, India had moved to 102 for 2, needing only 70 more in the second half. Iyer went on to bring up a 28-ball fifty, after which Kishan got a lucky break as the third umpire felt Forde didn’t get his fingers under the ball while taking a diving catch at sweeper cover in Shamar Springer’s over. In the same over, Iyer also struck his first six, going straight down the ground.

The six off Springer was the start of Iyer’s innings going into overdrive as the Indian T20I captain hit a six and a four off Hosein in the 13th over, followed by three sixes and a four off Forde, in the midst of which he also got a reprieve. He got to a 42-ball hundred by depositing Chase over long-on, registering the second quickest T20I ton by an Indian captain after Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball effort against Sri Lanka in 2017. Kishan enjoyed all the action from the non-striker’s end as Iyer took the winning single to complete the chase in the 15th over, taking India to their 10th successive T20I win.

Earlier, after being asked to bat, Shai Hope helped West Indies off to a quick start with regular boundaries, including four fours in the second over off Mayank Yadav. Kamil Pooran looked promising at the other end, getting a couple of boundaries before Arshdeep Singh ended his stay in the fifth over. West Indies suffered further setbacks as Shimron Hetmyer was run-out for 5, and Rovman Powell was bowled by Axar Patel for a duck, with the left-arm spinner ending the Powerplay with a maiden.

Hope got a reprieve when a slower ball from Mayank brushed the off stump but the bails did not dislodge. With Sherfane Rutherford for company, the West Indies captain powered the team forward as both dealt in fours and sixes. Kuldeep Yadav was hit for two sixes in the ninth over, while Axar went for 18 in the 11th over, including a six by Rutherford. Hope then brought up a 36-ball fifty but the innings derailed soon after. Hope fell to debutant Naman Dhir, who also picked up the wicket of Shepherd, while Kuldeep accounted for Roston Chase. Kuldeep’s second wicket was thanks to a fine catch from Kishan to send Forde back, and Dhir bagged his third by having Springer caught at deep midwicket. From 107 for 3, West Indies slipped to 135 for 8.

That West Indies finished with 170-plus was thanks to Rutherford and Hosein’s 36-run stand in the death overs. Rutherford hit two fours off Mayank before getting another boundary off Arshdeep to bring up a 31-ball fifty. Hosein struck a six off Arshdeep and a four off Mayank, who was also hit for a six by Rutherford. Mayank, however, managed to mitigate the damage with the wicket of Rutherford. Axar picked up the wicket of Hosein in the final over as West Indies were bowled out with five deliveries remaining in their innings.

Brief scores: West Indies 171 in 19.1 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 56, Shai Hope 52; Naman Dhir 3-31) lost to India 172/2 in 14.4 overs (Shreyas Iyer 102*, Ishan Kishan 37*; Akeal Hosein 1-37) by 8 wickets.