WI vs IND: Nicholas Pooran stars as Caribbean team triumph over India

• Pooran said he was delighted to contribute to the team’s win.
• Pooran’s 67 off 40 balls helped West Indies chase down the target of 153 by India.
• This gave West Indies a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.

In an impressive display, power-hitter Nicholas Pooran emerged as the star player, leading the West Indies to break a seven-year dry spell by defeating India by two wickets in the second T20I of their series held in Guyana.

Pooran’s explosive innings of 67 off just 40 deliveries proved instrumental as the West Indies successfully chased down India’s modest score of 152/7 with seven balls to spare. This victory gave the Caribbean team a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.

Both Pooran and the West Indies showcased their maturity, highlighting their expertise in the shortest format of the game. This victory marked the first time since 2016 that the West Indies secured back-to-back T20I wins over India.

Pooran entered the crease with his team in a precarious position at 2/2 in the opening over. He eventually departed on the final ball of the 14th over, having put his team in a strong position.

While India managed to take three quick wickets after Pooran’s dismissal, bowlers Akeal Hosein (16*) and Alzarri Joseph (10*) kept their composure to ensure the home team emerged victorious.

Speaking about his impactful performance, Pooran expressed his delight in making a significant contribution and expressed confidence in the team’s progress as they prepare to co-host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next year.

“It’s nice to contribute and win games for the team,” Pooran said.

“We are not really focused on them (India) to be honest, we’re just happy that we are 2-0 up in this series.

“We are focusing on controlling what we can, getting better with our skills, game awareness and try to put complete performances together.”

Only the young players Tilak Varma (51) and Ishan Kishan (27) contributed more runs than the 24 that India skipper Hardik Pandya scored while at the crease during the middle overs. Hardik Pandya took three wickets with the ball.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, India’s captain was forced to bemoan the performance of his batters as his team lost wickets at regular intervals and could only muster a score that fell short of expectations.

“That was not a pleasing batting performance by us,” he said.

“The wickets were falling and the track was on the slower side and we were not good enough to get to 160-plus.

“The way Pooran has been batting makes it difficult to rotate spinners. It doesn’t matter if someone takes the ball away or into him. The way he batted from 2/2, it was incredible.”

Varma, who batted an outstanding half-century in just his second international outing, did receive some appreciation from Pandya, who thinks the left-hander has a promising future in the sport.

“The way he has been batting, that is something we are looking at. A left-hander at No.4 gives us a right-left combination throughout,” Pandya added.

“The youngsters (in India’s team) are coming with confidence and fearlessness.”

With the following match scheduled to take place at the same location in Guyana on Tuesday, the West Indies will have the opportunity to end another seven-year losing streak by defeating India in a T20I series for the first time since 2016.

On August 12 and August 13, Lauderhill will host the final two games.

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