Suryakumar Yadav scored a swashbuckling 44 ball-83 as India defeated West Indies by 7 wickets in the third T20 international at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Tuesday.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, openers Brandon King and Kyle Mayers got West Indies off to a brisk start. The duo added 55 runs for the opening wicket before the latter top edged a slog sweep off Axar Patel to Arshdeep Singh at deep backward square leg for 25.
Johnson Charles (12) was trapped leg before wicket by Kuldeep Yadav while attempting a sweep. Nicholas Pooran came in and smashed Kuldeep for four and a six off consecutive deliveries. However the left spinner hit back by dismissing the dangerous Pooran stumped for 20.
Kuldeep claimed his 50th wicket in T20I by dismissing King, caught and bowled in the same over for a run a ball 42.
Skipper Rovman Powell provided the final flourish in the end by scoring a quickfire 40 off just 19 balls to take West Indies to 159/5 in their 20 overs.
Chasing 160 India got off to a bad start by losing debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal for 1, miscuing an attempted hit off Obed McCoy to Alzarri Joseph.
Shubman Gill’s poor form with the bat continued as he top edged one off Joseph for 6.
Suryakumar Yadav along with Tilak Varma stitched together a 87 run stand for the third wicket. The former reached his fifty off just 23 balls with successive fours off Romario Shepherd.
The partnership was eventually broken when Yadav perished to a full toss off Joseph for 83. His knock came off 44 balls with 10 fours and 4 sixes.
Skipper Hardik Pandya (20*) finished the game in style by smashing Rovman Powell for a six over long-off as the visitors overhauled the target in 17.5 overs. Varma remained unbeaten on 49.
India 164 for 3 (Suryakumar 83, Tilak 49*, Joseph 2-25) beat West Indies 159 for 5 (King 42, Powell 40*, Kuldeep 3-28) by seven wickets