FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, CMC – Brandon King lashed a career-best unbeaten half-century and Romario Shepherd took career-best figures as West Indies thrashed India by eight wickets to notch their first Twenty20 International series win over the Asian giants in seven years. Tasked with overhauling 166 in the decisive fifth game at Central Broward Regional Park here yesterday, West Indies galloped to their target with two overs to spare, to finally end their series drought against the Indians with a 3-2 verdict. Opener King was at the forefront of the run chase, top-scoring with 85 not out off of 55 deliveries with five fours and half-dozen sixes, marking his seventh fifty in his 40th game of the format. Crucially, King put on 107 runs for the second wicket with Man-of-the-Series Nicholas Pooran, whose 47 required 35 balls and included one four and four sixes.
The partnership turned the game in West Indies’ favour after Kyle Mayers’s poor run continued when he perished for only 10 with 12 runs on the board in the second over.
When Pooran departed just following a 40-minute break for rain, Shai Hope arrived to smack a breezy unbeaten 22 from 13 balls, in a 52-run unbroken third wicket partnership with King, to erase any doubts over the result.
“It’s difficult to put words to it. Adjectives are inadequate in describing how we feel,” captain Rovman Powell said afterwards. “The guys are elated. It’s a big series. You mention all the stuff that is going on in West Indies cricket, so it’s a very big series for us to beat India at home.” Fast bowling all-rounder Shepherd had earlier set the stage for the Caribbean side’s domination, picking up a career-best 4-31 to help restrict India to 165 for nine off their 20 overs.
He was later adjudged Man of the Match.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein (2-24) and another fast-bowling all-rounder Jason Holder (2-36) both ended with two wickets apiece as India, choosing to bat first, stuttered and stumbled as wickets fell regularly.
Only Suryakumar Yadav with 61 from 45 balls and rookie Tilak Varma, with 27 from 18 balls, showed any enterprise and were the only ones to pass 20.
Hosein accounted for both openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal (5) caught and bowled off the fifth ball of the morning and Shubman Gill (9) missing a sweep and falling lbw in the third over at 17 for two. The right-handed Suryakumar then held the innings together, stroking four fours and three sixes and inspiring a 49-run, third wicket stand with Varma, adding 21 for the fourth with Sanju Samson (13) and a further 43 for the fifth wicket with captain Hardik Pandya (14).
His dismissal towards the end of the 18th over, lbw to Holder, proved a massive blow to India’s hopes of a strong finish as Shepherd struck twice to stall their progress at the back end. In reply, West Indies lost Mayers, the left-hander holing out to Jaiswal at mid-off off left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh.
However, King and Pooran took control of the chase in an exhilarating stand which put West Indies in complete control.
King raced to his fifty of 38 deliveries, bringing up his landmark in the 13th over by lifting leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal over the ropes at long off.
Pooran was equally dashing, and appeared to be heading for his second fifty of the series when he bungled a reverse sweep at a full length delivery from Varma and was taken at slip.
King continued unfazed, twice clearing the ropes for back-to-back sixes at the end of the 16th over from Chahal, before hitting Varma for a straight six in the next over which leaked 12 runs and left West Indies needing only six runs to win. Hope put the finishing touches on a clinical chase when he elegantly struck leg-spinner Jaiswal back over head for a straight six at the end of the 18th.
