LUCKNOW, OCT 6 (PTI): India produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat West Indies by eight wickets in the opening T20 International in Lucknow, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. The victory was powered by skipper Shreyas Iyer’s stunning unbeaten century and an impressive debut bowling display from all-rounder Naman Dhir.
After winning the toss and opting to bowl, India restricted West Indies to 171 runs, thanks largely to Dhir’s excellent figures of 3 for 31 and Kuldeep Yadav’s 2 for 33. The visitors got off to an aggressive start, with captain Shai Hope attacking India’s pace attack early on. However, Arshdeep Singh provided the first breakthrough by dismissing Kamil Pooran, while a mix-up led to Shimron Hetmyer’s run-out. Axar Patel further hurt West Indies by removing Rovman Powell, reducing them to a precarious position.
Despite the setbacks, Hope and Sherfane Rutherford rebuilt the innings. Rutherford played an explosive knock of 56 from just 34 balls, striking several boundaries and sixes to lift the scoring rate. Hope contributed a composed 52 off 37 deliveries before becoming one of Dhir’s three victims. Kuldeep also played a key role in the middle overs, dismissing Roston Chase and helping halt West Indies’ momentum.
Debutant Dhir impressed with his composure, claiming the wickets of Hope, Romario Shepherd, and Shamar Springer. India’s fielding was equally sharp, with Ishan Kishan taking an outstanding catch to dismiss Rutherford. West Indies eventually managed 171, but the total appeared below par on a good batting surface.
India’s chase began shakily as both openers departed within the first four overs. Abhishek Sharma fell for 21, while Sanju Samson’s poor run of form continued with a score of just 11, leaving India at 35 for 2.
From that point onward, the match belonged entirely to Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan. The duo stitched together an unbeaten partnership of 137 runs for the third wicket, completely taking the game away from the visitors. Iyer led the charge with a masterclass in attacking batting, finding boundaries and sixes with remarkable ease. He mixed elegant strokeplay with aggressive hitting, punishing both pace and spin bowlers.
Ishan Kishan provided excellent support, remaining unbeaten on 37 and allowing his captain to dominate. As the partnership flourished, India raced past 100 by the halfway stage of the innings. Iyer reached his maiden T20I century in spectacular fashion, bringing up the milestone in just 42 balls with a towering six. He remained unbeaten on 102, producing one of the finest innings of his T20 international career. His brilliant knock ensured India comfortably chased down the target in only 14.4 overs, with more than five overs to spare.
The comprehensive victory highlighted India’s batting depth, bowling strength, and fielding excellence, while Dhir’s impressive debut and Iyer’s career-best performance provided major positives for the hosts as they look ahead to the remainder of the series.
Brief Score:
West Indies: 171 all out in 19.1 overs (Shai Hope 52, Sherfane Rutherford 56; Naman Dhir 3/31).
India: 172 for 2 in 14.4 overs (Shreyas Iyer 102 not out; Akeal Hosein 1/37).
