India beat West Indies by seven wickets at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence on Tuesday to complete a clean sweep of the T20 international three-match series.
Rain delayed the concluding match by an hour but there was no stopping India who had clinched the series with back-to-back wins in Florida at the weekend. They won the opening match by four wickets and the second by 22 runs on the DLS method. Rishabh Pant (65*) and skipper Virat Kohli (59) anchored the chase for India after openers Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul departed early.
After two limp displays in the first two games, Pant and Kohli were in a punishing mood and negotiated the run chase with ease.
Outstanding bowling by Deepak Chahar limited West Indies to 146/6 batting first. Chahar was one of three changes to the Indian team after they had sealed the series with victories in both matches at the weekend at the Central Broward Stadium in Florida.
His cunning and accurate medium-pace brought him figures of 3/4 off three overs after the Windies were put in following a delayed start by almost an hour because of early morning rain.
Kieron Pollard again held the innings together with a top score of 58 and dominated a 66-run partnership with Nicholas Pooran (17) for the fourth wicket after they had slipped to 14 for three in just the fourth over.
Rovman Powell, who blazed a half-century in vain in the rain-affected second match in the United States on Sunday, then contributed a quick-fire 32 off 20 deliveries to give the innings some late impetus.
Chahar struck in his very first over when he had pinch-hitting opener Sunil Narine well caught by Navdeep Saini before removing the other opening batsman, Evin Lewis, and local hero Shimron Hetmyer, both leg-before.
Gangling fast bowler Saini, man of the match on his international debut in the opening encounter of the series on Saturday, broke the productive partnership between Pollard and Pooran when he had the junior partner caught behind.
He then bowled Pollard to end the veteran all-rounder’s innings which spanned only 45 deliveries and was highlighted by six sixes and one four.
Given his senior international debut in this match in place of left-arm slow bowler Ravindra Jadeja, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar claimed the wicket of Carlos Brathwaite, the West Indies captain miscuing an attempted pull to be comfortably taken at long-on.
More to follow...