IND vs WI 2022: 3 things Indian bowlers did right in the first T20I
After completing a three-nil whitewash in the ODI series, India made it four wins out of four on this white-ball tour after winning the first T20I in Trinidad.
This was the first time a T20I international was played at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium. Fair to say, the Indian bowlers certainly enjoyed the conditions on offer.
The visitors sealed a 68-run win in the series opener, with captain Rohit Sharma leading from the front with a brisk knock of 64. Dinesh Karthik's dream return to the side continued as well, as he played a match-winning cameo of 41* off 19 deliveries, helping India post a target of 191.
In return, the West Indies never really threatened to chase the target down as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi made the most of their opportunities in the side, bagging a couple of wickets each, as did the veteran, Ravichandran Ashwin.
INDIA WINN 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
A brilliant all round performance from Team India seal their victory in the first T20I against West Indies 🙌
#IndianCricketTeam #WestIndies #WIvIND #Cricket https://t.co/RvMvue6lCV
The Indian bowlers played a huge part in helping the side win the series opener. With plenty of options in the bowling unit and the T20 World Cup not far away, it will be important for the team to narrow down their options in the build up to the tournament.
In the first T20I, the bowlers held their end of the bargain to put in a clinical performance. Here, we take a look at three things they did right in the first T20I against the West Indies.
#1 Used the conditions well
There was a notable contrast in selections for both sides when the teams were announced at the toss. While West Indies went in with only one spinner, India opted for three spin options. As it turns out, the visitors read the pitch better than the hosts did.
The conditions on offer were conducive to spin bowling, with the pitch on the slower side. A strong breeze blew across the ground, which helped the slow bowlers get enough drift. It also gave the spinners a bit more margin for error as it was difficult for the batters to hit against the wind.
With a bag of tricks and variations, Arshdeep and Bhuvneshwar had enough to work with. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya offered enough options for the captain too.
#2 India made the most of their match-ups
#TeamIndia 
An impressive bowling performance by @ashwinravi99 as he is our top performer from the second innings of the first #WIvIND T20I. 👌#TeamIndia
Here's a summary of his performance 👍 https://t.co/xMdcwHIk7i
Tactical match-ups are a significant part of the game in the modern era. India got their match-ups spot on in the first T20I, especially with the spinners. There were a few question marks when Ravi Bishnoi didn't get a go until the 11th over, but Rohit Sharma knew what he was doing.
Jadeja made the most of his match-up against Holder, while Ravichandran Ashwin accounted for the two dangerous left-handers in Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer. With Rovman Powell and Odean Smith's struggles against spin, Bishnoi wrapped up the rest to ensure India kept it simple yet effective.
#3 The bowlers were hunting in packs
A dominant performance by our bowlers 👏👏
#TeamIndia win the 1st #WIvIND T20I by 68 runs and take 1-0 series lead 💪 https://t.co/H15eUfQZoK
They say wolves hunt in packs, as do bowlers. While one bowler does well to restrict the scoring rate, it's essential that the bowler from the other end supports him well to ensure that the pressure remains on the batters.
Usually, bowlers work in tandem to be defensive from one end and buy wickets from the other end. When that happens, both bowlers need to hold their end of the bargain. Rohit Sharma's bowlers did that pretty well in the first match.
While it was largely the spinners who did the damage in the first T20I, the pacers did pretty well to hold their own. Especially in comparison to the West Indies pacers.
No Indian bowlers had an economy rate of more than 6.50 in the game, which suggests they had the ideal mix of defensive and wicket-taking options, which helped them seal the win.