Fast bowler Navdeep Saini was described as "a rarity" after starring on his senior international debut where India defeated the West Indies by four wickets in a low-scoring T20 clash at the Central Broward Stadium in Florida on Saturday.
On a pitch where all batsmen struggled to play their shots, the West Indies were restricted to 95 for nine batting first. India's line-up found the conditions equally challenging but the depth of their batting saw them through to 98 for six with 16 deliveries to spare.
"Navdeep is a rarity with his raw pace," said Kohli in appreciation of his debutant's impressive effort. "We can only hope he kicks on from there. It wasn't the best pitch because of all the weather around. Everyone did a great job to get the match underway on time."
'Keep series alive'
From the Windies end, Keemo Paul, Sunil Narine and Sheldon Cottrell took two wickets each but their efforts weren't enough in the face of the small total they were attempting to defend.
"Once again I don't think we assessed the conditions properly," said West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite. "We just have to keep on playing positively though and come at them hard for the second match to keep the series alive."
India will be seeking to clinch the series with victory in the second match at the same venue on Sunday before the teams head to Guyana for the final match on Tuesday.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Randy Brooks
