Images from the first Twenty20 International between India and the West Indies, in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
India continued their ascendancy over the West Indies in the ongoing series, beating them by six wickets in the first Twenty20 International, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
Ravi Bishnoi's two-wicket haul was backed up by quality knocks from Rohit Sharma (40) and Suryakumar Yadav (34 not out) as India emerged triumphant with seven balls to spare.
The second T20I will be played on Friday at the same venue.
Chasing 158, India got off to a quickfire start as openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan put on 58 runs inside the first six overs.
The 64-run opening stand finally came to an end in the eighth over when Roston Chase got the better of Rohit (40).
The dashing opener tried to go big over mid-wicket but could only to find Odean Smith leap high and complete the fine catch without falling over the boundary line.
Chase got his second wicket in the 12th over, dismissing Kishan (35) with a short ball that cramped the opener. Kishan's pull went straight to Fabian Allen at deep mid-wicket.
India were reduced to 93 for 2, still needing 65 runs for victory.
In the next over, Allen had Virat Kohli (17) caught by skipper Kieron Pollard at long-off, bringing two new batters -- Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav -- at the crease.
Pant (8), as usual, was adventurous, was dismissed by Sheldon Cottrell and India were 114 for 4 in the 15th over.
Pant was cramped for room. He tried to go for the pull but only got the splice of the bat and saw the ball balloon into the air straight to short fine.
Suryakumar and Venkatesh Iyer (24 out) ensured there were no more casualties, the former hitting a six and 5 fours on an 18-ball 34 to see the home team through with much to spare.
Earlier, Nicholas Pooran showed why Sunrisers Hyderabad picked him for a hefty pay cheque of Rs 10.75 crore in the just-concluded IPL auction as he starred with the bat to rally the West Indies to a fighting 157 for 7.
The wicketkeeper-batter’s 43-ball 61, which included 6 sixes and 4 fours, was the cornerstone of the visitors’ innings after they were reduced to 90 for 5 in the 13th over.
Put in to bat, the West Indies had a disastrous start, losing Brandon King (4) on the fifth ball of the innings to Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Kyle Mayers and Pooran, who was given a life on 8 by debutant Ravi Bishnoi, who erred in judgment while going for the catch and stepped on the boundary rope, then scored briskly to take the side to 44 for 1 at the end of the powerplay overs.
Their 47-run stand for the second wicket was cut short by Yuzvendra Chahal, who trapped Mayers (31) leg-before wicket in the seventh over.
Bishnoi then bagged his maiden T20I wicket in the 11th over, dismissing Roston Chase (4) leg-before wicket.
In the very same over, the Jodhpur lad dismissed Rovman Powell (2) and the visitors were reduced to 74 for 4.
Pooran, who endured an abysmal last IPL with 85 runs at a poor average of 7.72 and had scores of 18, 9 and 34 in the preceding three ODIs, though offered stubborn resistance, holding one end up, as they looked for a big finish in the final overs.
He was dismissed by in the 18th over, with the score 135 for 6 by Harshal Patel, who had him caught by Virat Kohli, but it was not before the left-hander played a brisk knock of 61.
Kieron Pollard made a late charge, scoring an unbeaten 24 off 19 balls, which included a six and 2 fours as the West Indies finished with 157 for 7, scoring 61 runs in the last five overs.
