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.
The likes of Rishabh Pant (65*) and captain Virat Kohli (59) shone with the bat, playing a unassailable 106-run stand, as the visitors chased down the target with relative ease.
Rain had 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.
Earlier, an outstanding bowling by Deepak Chahar limited West Indies to 146 for six.
Stat:
3-0 series whitewashes in T20Is (India)
vs Aus in Aus, 2016
vs SL in Ind, 2017
vs WI in Ind, 2018
vs WI in WI/USA, 2019 *
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 three for four off three overs after the Caribbean side 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.
“Very clinical performance. We set out to get the results that we wanted and we've achieved that. Deepak stepped up today,” said Kohli after the game.
“I think all the bowlers were on the mark. This was a much better wicket that what we saw in Miami. Very similar to Bhuvi, his (Deepak Chahar) skill with the new ball is right up there. That's been his USP in the IPL as well. We are looking at him (Rishabh Pant) as the future.
“He's got a lot of skill and lot of talent. It is about giving him some space and not putting too much of pressure. He's come a long way since he's started. We want to be professional as a side. Looking forward to some fun in the ODIs and Tests as well.”
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.
“The wicket was good and so was the weather, said Chahar, who was named the Man of the Match.
“I assessed the conditions and I bowled more in-swingers than out-swingers. It was difficult to play against the ball coming into the batsman as compared to the one going away.
“I usually bowl with old balls in nets, that's how I prepare myself. When the ball is swinging, I don't use many variations. I was assessing the conditions on the first ball of every over.”
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.
Brief scores: West Indies 146-6 (K. Pollard 58, R. Powell 32; D. Chahar 3-4, N. Saini 2-34)
India 150-3 off 19.1 overs (R. Pant 65 n.o., V. Kohli 59; O. Thomas 2-29)
Toss: India
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Randy Brooks
