3 positives for India from the 2nd T20I vs West Indies
Rohit Sharma's spectacular start to life as India's full-time white-ball captain continued in the second T20I against West Indies as the hosts secured a thrilling eight-run win at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday, February 18.
Only three Windies wickets fell in their chase of 186 as Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran smashed fifties to bring the visitors close. But India clinched key moments in the game, executing their plans well and sealing the series with one game to spare.
Here are three positives for India from their tense win over West Indies in the second T20I.
#3 Venkatesh Iyer and Rishabh Pant put on an impressive partnership
At the fall of Virat Kohli's wicket in the 14th over, after a period of slow run-scoring, India needed something special to reach a competitive total on a wicket that was conducive to batting and an outfield that was electric. They got just that from their pair of middle-order southpaws - Rishabh Pant and Venkatesh Iyer.
Batting at No. 5, Pant took the attack to the West Indies bowlers almost immediately. He dispatched any loose deliveries he faced and kept things ticking from one end, helping Venkatesh play his natural game and find the boundary frequently.
Venkatesh was eventually dismissed in the final over, but he and Pant had done their job by then. India are slowly putting together the pieces of their middle-order puzzle, with Pant and Iyer's 76-run partnership being the difference between the two sides on Friday.
#2 The leg-spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi delivered for India again
India's eight overs of leg-spin yielded 61 runs for two wickets, which might not seem incredible. But given the context of the game, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi's spells were worth their weight in gold.
Chahal bowled two of his four overs in the powerplay, dismissing Kyle Mayers by cramping him for room. The experienced leg-spinner should've had Nicholas Pooran as well, but his spin partner shelled a straightforward chance in the deep to hand the Windies batter a gift.
Bishnoi conceded two boundaries in his final over and occasionally sent down overpitched deliveries, but he was mostly error-free while bowling to the devastating power of Rovman Powell and Pooran. He frequently beat the bat, with his pace through the air proving tough to counter.
Chahal and Bishnoi complement each other perfectly and could strike a prolific partnership going forward.
#1 India's death bowling stepped up in the second T20I
India eventually won by a narrow margin of eight runs as Powell butchered two sixes in the final over to bring West Indies within touching distance of their target. But against two in-form batters, the hosts' death bowling stepped up.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the star of the show as he bowled a terrific penultimate over, conceding only four runs and dismissing Pooran with a smart variation. Although Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel were taken to the cleaners, conceding 86 runs in their eight wicketless overs, they held their nerve at key junctures and bowled crucial dot balls.
With dew making batting easier in the second innings, India did brilliantly to keep the power-packed Windies lineup at bay. Their death bowling will only improve when names like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami return to the fold.