KOLKATA, India – West Indies made a fist of it but the lack of runs after a batting implosion proved their downfall, as they slipped to a five-wicket defeat to India in the opening Twenty20 International on Sunday.
Defending an inadequate 109 at Eden Gardens, West Indies were in the contest after reducing the hosts to 45 for four in the eighth over, as debutant fast bowler Oshane Thomas produced a fiery spell to unsettle the top order.
But India steadied themselves through a fifth-wicket stand between Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey, to get over the line with 13 balls remaining and extend West Indies’ misery on tour.
Thomas set the speedgun on fire – like he had done at the Caribbean Premier League and in the One-Day International series – ripping out Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan with 147 kph inswingers. Skipper Carlos Brathwaite delivered 18 dot balls in returning figures of two for 11 from his four overs. (CMC)
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