By Prakhar Sachdeo Feb 16, 2022 11:23:16 PM IST (Published)
Ravi Bishnoi, the 21-year-old leg-spinner, made a sparkling Twenty20 International debut. Bishnoi pocketed 2 for 14 from his four overs to be named the Player of the Match. The hosts' win also rubbed the sheen off Nicholas Pooran's sizzling 61.
India chased down to 157 to record the highest successful chase in a T20I game at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and beat West Indies by six wickets to go 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series. The record for the previous best chase was held by West Indies, when they beat England in the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup here.
Chasing 158, India skipper Rohit and Ishan Kishan--who is currently on a euphoric high, having been purchased for a cool Rs 15.25 crore by Mumbai Indians--started India's response in a blazing fashion. Rohit especially looked in an unforgiving mood and went after Odean Smith, smashing two fours and two sixes in the fourth over. This allowed Kishan's chance to free up his arms and the youngster hit Hoesin for two consecutive fours. The second boundary took the opening pair to a fifty-run partnership off a mere 4.3 overs.
Pollard, in a bid to slow the hosts down, introduced off-spinner Roston Chase into the attack. The spinner was immediately effective as he conceded just one run in his first over. Another quiet over followed as Hosein gave away just five in the next over. The pressure of dot balls showed as Chase forced Rohit to go big on the third ball of the eighth over. But the India captain miscued his shot and was caught at deep mid-wicket by Smith; Rohit departed after a quickfire 40 off 19, including four fours and three sixes.