India
clinched the three-match T20I series against the West Indies with a game to
spare on Friday, defeating the Caribbean side by eight runs in the second encounter at Kolkata’s
Eden Gardens.
Having struggled
with the bat for much of the tour – which saw India complete a 3-0 clean sweep
in the ODI series, the Windies launched a spirited fightback as they looked to
level the series.
Chasing
187, a slow start by the openers saw the visitors lose two wickets with just 69
on the board from 8.3 overs. However, Nicholas Pooran (62) and Rovman Powell (68*)
then forged a 100-run partnership for the third wicket with the Windies needing
another 28 from the final 11 deliveries.
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But the
crucial moment came in the penultimate over, when Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept his
nerve, dismissing the in-form Pooran while conceding just four runs to take the
game away from the Windies.
Bhuvneshwar
has been under fire for his recent form, particularly during the tour of South
Africa – where he went wicketless and conceded over 6 runs per over. He was
subsequently not selected in the squad for the three-match ODI series against
the West Indies.
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But skipper
Rohit Sharma said the management believes in the 32-year-old, highlighting his
starring role in the side’s limited overs success over the years.
“You are
always a bit scared when you are playing against these guys (West Indies power
hitters). In the end, it was a phenomenal finish. Right from the start, we knew
it wouldn’t be easy. But I am proud we executed our plans under pressure. It
was very critical at that point when Bhuvneshwar bowled.”
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“That’s
where experience comes into play. Bhuvi has been doing it for many years and we
believe in him a lot.”
The two
sides take on each other in the final T20I on Sunday.
