Rohit Sharma led from the front as India totalled 167 for five against the West Indies in the second fixture of a three-match T20 International series at the Central Broward Stadium in Florida on Sunday.
Top-scorer in the four-wicket victory in the opening match of the series at the same venue a day earlier, Sharma blazed 67 off 51 balls with three sixes and six fours embellishing his entertaining innings after captain Virat Kohli chose to bat first on winning the toss.
He dominated an opening stand of 67 with Shikhar Dhawan and looked on course for a hundred when a miscued swing at Oshane Thomas resulted in a comfortable catch for Shimron Hetmyer at extra-cover.
Thomas also removed Rishabh Pant cheaply and the West Indies did a better containing job in the second half of the innings except for the final over when three sixes were hoisted off Keemo Paul.
Paul dismissed Dhawan for 23 and left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell claimed the prized wicket of Kohli (28) and doubled his wicket tally in removing Manish Pandey to a wicketkeeper’s catch.
After going almost four overs without finding the boundary ropes, Krunal Pandya heaved two sixes and Ravindra Jadeja added another in Paul's expensive finale to the innings.
India retained an unchanged team from the opening match with Kohli opting to bat instead of bowl first as he did on Saturday on the belief that the surface will become increasingly difficult for batting as the day wears on.
West Indies, who need to win this match to keep the series alive ahead of the third match in Guyana on Tuesday, made one change with left-armer Khary Pierre offering the Caribbean side an additional spin option in place of opening batsman John Campbell.
Sunil Narine was promoted alongside Evin Lewis at the top of the batting order.
Feature image courtesy: AFP/Randy Brooks
