–host takes 2-nil lead with successive wins

By Sean Devers
A MAN-of-the-Match performance from Nicholas Pooran helped West Indies to a two-wicket win against India at the Providence Stadium on Sunday in the second ODI of the five-match series.
The hosts now have a 2-nil lead heading into tomorrow’s game at the same venue.

Watched by crowd of approximately 3,000 fans at a venue that can accommodate 15,000, the 27-year-old Pooran hit six fours and two sixes to spearhead West Indies to 155-8 from 18.5 overs.
However, it was another poor batting display by the West Indies.

Shimron Hetmyer, who has struggled for runs since his return to the team, made a run-a-ball 22, with a six and a four, while Captain Rovman Powell scored 21 from 19 balls, with two boundaries which included a six; they were the only batters to reach 20.
Skipper Hardik Pandya had 3-35, while leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took 19.

India, who opted to bat in sweltering heat, had earlier made 152-7 on a slow track and fast outfield, with 20-year-old rookie Tilak Varma, in only his second game at this level, top-scoring with 51 from 41 balls with five fours and a six.
At the top of the order, Ishan Kishan made a shot-filled 27 from 23 balls, with two fours and pair of sixes, while Pandya scored 24 with two sixes from 18 balls.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, and Romario Shepherd captured two wickets each in the 29th T20 International played at Providence.
When India began their innings, Kishan got going with a six off Hosein, who shared the new ball with Obed McCoy.
Twenty-three-year-old Shubman Gill pulled Joseph for six, before a thick outside edge flew to Hetymer on the backward point boundary off the next ball.

This breakthrough came with India on 16-1, and was to the dismay of a large contingent of Indian flag-waving supporters in the Grass Mound and the Orange stand.
Two runs later, Suryakumar Yadav (1) was run out by a direct hit from Kyle Mayers, to bring Varma to join Kishan, the latter stroking Mayers for two boundaries in his first over.

The 50 came up from 52 balls, before left-handed Kishan pulled Shepherd for six.
The Berbica produced a beauty which crashed into his off-stump with the score on 60-3 in the 10th over.
New batter Sanju Samson got off the mark with a delightful boundary, and at the end of 10 overs, India were 65-3.
Samson (7) was neatly stumped by Nicolas Pooran, as Hosein struck at 76-4 in the 12th over.

Varma brought up his 50 from 39 balls with five fours and a six before Pandya slog-swept Hosein for six, and clobbered Joseph back over his head for six more; he was later bowled at 139-6, by.
Axar Patel threw his bat around in his 14 from 12 balls, before he edged Shepherd to the keeper at 139-7.

Ravi Bishnoi (8) and Arshdeep Singh (6) were the unbeaten batters for India who lost the services of left-arm google bowler Kuldeep Yadav due to injury and rested key batters Virat Kholi and Rohit Sharma for the T20 Series which culminates with last two games in Florida USA.
West Indies began their chase in horrendous fashion, when Brandon King drove the first ball of the innings to Yadav at point off Pandya.

Johnson Charles (2) fell to Pandya at 2-2 while after slicing Singh for behind point and lofting over extra-cover for six, the left-hander from Barbados, soon departed at 32-3 when he was lbw to Singh after hitting two fours and six in his 7-ball 15.
Powell and Pooran steadied the ship with a 67-run stand as both batters played with plenty of intensity; Pooran stroked Kumar for back-to-back boundaries while Powell deposited Yuzvendra Chahal over long-off for six.

A four and a six by Pooran off Ravi Bishnoi brought up the 50 in the 6th over before the Trini celebrated the landmark with two more ferociously hit boundaries in an over which leaked 18.
Powell eventually fell to Pandya at 89-4 while Pooran, on the back of a successful Major League USA tournament, reached his ninth T20I fifty from 29 balls with six fours and two sixes before he departed at 126-5.

Shepherd was run out for a duck two runs later while Holder (0) was stumped off Chahal without addition to the score and when Hetmyer who was looking set to take the game home, was lbw to Chahal.
By then, the West Indies had collapsed to 129-8 after losing four wickets for three runs.
However, Joseph, unbeaten on 10 with a six and Hossein, who struck two fours in his undefeated 16, saw West Indies home with seven balls remaining.

Scoreboard
West Indies innings
Brandon King c Yadav b Pandya 0
Kyle Mayers lbw b Singh 15
Johnson Charles c Tilak Varma b Pandya 2
Nicholas Pooran c Samson b Mukesh Kumar 67
Rovman Powell c Mukesh Kumar b Pandya 21
Shimron Hetmyer lbw b Chahal 22
Romario Shepherd run out 0
Jason Holder
st †Ishan Kishan b Chahal 0
Akeal Hosein not out 8
Alzarri Joseph not out 2
Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2
TOTAL (off 17.4 Overs) 139/8

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Brandon King, 0.1 ov), 2-2 (Johnson Charles, 0.4 ov), 3-32 (Kyle Mayers, 3.4 ov), 4-89 (Rovman Powell, 9.5 ov), 5-126 (Nicholas Pooran, 13.6 ov), 6-128 (Romario Shepherd, 15.1 ov), 7-128 (Jason Holder, 15.4 ov), 8-129 (Shimron Hetmyer, 15.6 ov) •

BOWLING O M R W ECON 0s 4s 6s WD NB
Pandya 4-0-35 3, Singh 3.4 0 32
1
Mukesh Kumar
3 0 21
1

Ravi Bishnoi
4 0 31 0
Yuzvendra Chahal
3 0 19
2