3rd T-20I: India beat West Indies by 7 wickets in Guyana
In Cricket, India defeated West Indies by 7 wickets in the third T-20 international at Providence Stadium in Guyana last night. Suryakumar Yadav scored 83 runs off 44 balls while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 49 to finish the 160-run runchase.
The Visitors surpassed the target scoring 164 for 3 in 17.5 overs. Earlier, opting to bat after winning the toss, West Indies posted 159 for 5 in stipulated 20 overs. So far, the hosts, are leading the five-match series, 2-1.
The last two matches will be played in the United States. The fourth match will be held on Saturday in Florida and the 5th match of the series will be played on Sunday at the same venue.
A relentless Suryakumar Yadav denied West Indies the opportunity to wrap up the five-match T20I series before it shifted base to the United States as his 44-ball 83 was pivotal in India’s comfortable seven-wicket win in chase of 159/5. Suryakumar had Tilak Varma for company, who carried on from his fifty in the previous game to get an unbeaten 49 off 37 and see off the chase after the former’s dismissal.
How Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma began
Suryakumar walked out to bat on the fifth ball of the first over after debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal miscued a big shot across the line on a slower ball from Obed McCoy. Suryakumar straightaway laid down his murderous intention for the evening by whipping the first ball he faced for a four over mid-wicket and then followed it up with a pull over square leg for a six. He then went down on one knee against Akeal Hosein, shaping up to play a sweep but instead sliced it over point.
Tilak camped at the non-striker’s end to watch a familiar carnage unfold as Suryakumar continued to play his shots and reached his 50 in just 23 balls. Even as a drizzle came around, there was no respite for the West Indies bowlers as Suryakumar was in sublime touch, unfurling one audacious stroke after another. Romario Shepherd attempted to change the course of the game by taking the pace off the ball against the swashbuckler but in vain as Suryakumar saw through and found ways to shift across and hit him over fine leg as well as backward point. India coasted to 97 for 2 in 10 overs, the asking rate dragged down to just 6.30 an over.
Suryakumar’s urgency to get India on the series scoresheet meant India were well ahead of the DLS par score, if rain made a bigger intervention than just the drizzle that was around. Suryakumar looked on course to even get a hundred before polishing off the chase when he perished to an innocuous leg side ball that he flicked with all his might straight to Brandon King at fine leg.
Brief Scores: West Indies 159/5 in 20 overs (Brandon King 42, Rovman Powell 40*; Kuldeep Yadav 3-28) lost to India 164/3 in 17.5 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 83, Tilak Varma 49) by 7 wickets
