Skipper Rohit Sharma set the tempo and Suryakumar
Yadav provided the finishing touches as India defeated the West Indies by six wickets
and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on
Wednesday.

The win was India’s ninth over the West Indies
in their last ten matches in the shortest format, with the Caribbean team
winning one. The Windies have really struggled for form away from home
recently, losing 11 of their last 12 T20Is.

Chasing a 158-run target, Sharma was the aggressor
as India got off to a flier, scoring 58 in the powerplay overs, including 22
off Odean Smith in the fourth. Sharma, who loves playing at the Eden Gardens, scored three sixes and four boundaries in his 19-ball 40. 

However, the spinners reined in the scoring and Roston Chase got the first breakthrough, with Sharma perishing after failing to clear the boundary at long off, where he was caught by Odean Smith.

The most expensive IPL buy, Ishan Kishan, who was bought back by the Mumbai Indians for a staggering Rs 15.25 crore, made 35 in 42 balls before becoming Chase’s second victim. The hosts also lost Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant to leave them at 114/4 inside 15 overs.

In the company of Venkatesh Iyer (24 off 13), Surkyakumar then hit a brisk 34 in just 18 deliveries to help India chase down the target with seven balls to spare.

Earlier, on a high after his hefty IPL buyout, wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran returned to form a with a brisk 61 as West Indies recovered from a mid-innings slump to post a fighting total.

The Indian spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and debutant legs-pinner Ravi Bishnoi derailed the Windies in the middle overs by taking three wickets in between them, but Pooran held on as the visitors unleashed their fury in the death by scoring 61 runs in the the last five overs.

A fit-again Kieron Pollard, who missed the last two matches in the ODI series, played a cameo (24 not out from 19 balls) with two fours and one six.

The second T20I will be played on Friday.