Team India returned to the winning ways in the ongoing five-match T20I series after losing the first two games against the West Indies with a thumping 7-wicket win at Providence Stadium in Guyana on Tuesday, August 8. It wasn't a great start for the Indian team either with bat or ball but Suryakumar Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav with record-breaking performances ensured that the Men in Blue stayed alive in the series going into the final two games of the series in the United States of America.
Having performed poorly with the bat in the first two games, it was going to be a challenge for the Men in Blue once again, especially when they were chasing. The target wasn't a huge one of 160, but the pitch was playing up and down with uneven bounce and they needed to get off to a good start. Debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal got out in the very first over and Shubman Gill's struggles in the shortest format continued as he took 10 balls for just 6 runs. India lost both the openers in the powerplay itself, but thankfully for India, the number one T20I batter in the world decided to turn up and turn around his fortunes.
Surya was a bit tentative against the spinners early on but slowly got into his groove. A few freebies from the West Indies bowlers helped as after a watchful first few deliveries, Surya got into his work, smashing a half-century off just 23 balls. At the other end, Tilak Varma had gotten set till then. Sura kept smashing the West Indies bowlers as when he is in his zone, he doesn't care about the pitch, opposition or the bowler.
During the innings, Surya achieved a few records as he became the fastest Indian to smash 100 sixes in T20Is. He is now on level with Chris Gayle, having achieved the feat in just 49 innings in the overall list in second place with Evin Lewis at the top, who completed the feat in 42 innings. Surya also went past Shikhar Dhawan to become the fourth leading run-getter for India in T20Is.
Surya was dismissed by Alzarri Joseph off a full toss but he ensured that India couldn't lose the game from that point on as skipper Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma completed the formalities with the latter staying unbeaten on 49.
Earlier, it was Kuldeep Yadav, who shone with the ball on return after West Indies openers got a great start. Axar Patel was the first one to break through before Kuldeep ran through the middle-order with three wickets, including the big one of Nicholas Pooran, who began in the same manner once again where he left off in the second T20I. Kuldeep completed 50 scalps in T20Is and became the fastest Indian to achieve the feat.
After which West Indies skipper Rovman Powell rebuilt the innings with an unbeaten 40 off just 19 balls to help his side breach the 150 mark, which eventually wasn't enough. West Indies are still 2-1 ahead and will hope to seal the series on Saturday in Florida.
