Iyer’s 102 blasts India past West Indies in T20I opener
Key Points(5)
- Shreyas Iyer turned the opening Twenty20 International into a personal exhibition of power hitting Tuesday, smashing an unbeaten maiden T20I century as India stormed to an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
- Chasing 172, India lost both openers early and slipped to 35 for two, briefly giving the West Indies hope of making a contest of the series opener.
- Those hopes disappeared once Iyer settled in.
- The India captain tore into the West Indies attack, hammering 10 fours and four sixes in an astonishing 102 not out from only 43 balls.
- His assault propelled India to 172 for two in just 14.4 overs, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with 32 balls remaining.
Shreyas Iyer turned the opening Twenty20 International into a personal exhibition of power hitting Tuesday, smashing an unbeaten maiden T20I century as India stormed to an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Chasing 172, India lost both openers early and slipped to 35 for two, briefly giving the West Indies hope of making a contest of the series opener.
Those hopes disappeared once Iyer settled in.
The India captain tore into the West Indies attack, hammering 10 fours and four sixes in an astonishing 102 not out from only 43 balls. His assault propelled India to 172 for two in just 14.4 overs, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with 32 balls remaining.
Ishan Kishan provided support with an unbeaten 37 as the pair added an unbroken 137 for the third wicket.
Hope and Rutherford repair early damage
The West Indies had started promisingly after being asked to bat, with Shai Hope continuing the outstanding form that had seen him score two centuries in the preceding One-Day International (ODI) series.
Hope immediately attacked Mayank Yadav, striking the fast bowler for four boundaries in the second over. Debutant Kamil Pooran followed by guiding Arshdeep Singh to third man for his first boundary as the visitors raced to 28 without loss after three overs.
The momentum, however, quickly disappeared.
Pooran, beginning to look increasingly comfortable, inside-edged Singh onto his stumps and departed for 12.
Shimron Hetmyer followed in unfortunate circumstances. After a misfield, he attempted a sharp single, but failed to ground his bat before wicketkeeper Sanju Samson removed the bails. The West Indies were 44 for two in the sixth over.
Three deliveries later, the situation worsened.
Rovman Powell attempted an ambitious slog against Axar Patel and was bowled without scoring.
Rutherford and Hope revive the innings
The West Indies recovered through a productive fourth-wicket partnership between Hope and Sherfane Rutherford.
The pair added 63 to lift the visitors from 44 for three to 107 for three in the 12th over and briefly restored momentum to the innings.
Hope brought up his 13th T20I half-century from 36 balls, launching debutant spinner Naman Dhir over long-on for six.
But his innings ended with the very next delivery when he picked out deep midwicket.
Hope departed for 52, having struck six fours and two sixes, leaving Rutherford to shoulder much of the responsibility for the final overs.
The left-hander delivered the strongest resistance, top-scoring with 56 from 34 balls, including six fours and three sixes.
But wickets continued to fall around him, and Rutherford was eventually dismissed in the penultimate over as the West Indies were bowled out for 171 in 19.1 overs.
Dhir finished with three wickets for 31 runs, while Axar Patel claimed 2-26 and Kuldeep Yadav 2-33.
Iyer changes the game
India's chase initially appeared less straightforward than the final margin suggested.
Samson fell to Roston Chase and Abhishek Sharma was removed by Akeal Hosein, who was playing his 100th T20I, leaving India at 35 for two.
That was the last real opening the West Indies received.
Iyer immediately took control, attacking with a combination of clean striking and relentless boundary-hitting.
He blasted Shamar Joseph for three consecutive boundaries in the sixth over before doing the same to Romario Shepherd in the ninth, taking India to 94 for two.
His half-century arrived from just 28 balls when he pushed a single off Shamar Springer.
Thereafter, the innings became a procession of boundaries.
Iyer struck Hosein for a six and a four in the 13th over before dismantling Matthew Forde in the following over. Three sixes and a four from that over yielded 24 runs and moved Iyer to 95.
Maiden century seals emphatic win
With India needing only a handful more runs, Iyer completed his maiden T20I century in spectacular fashion.
He launched Chase high over long-on for a massive six to reach 100 from only 42 balls.
One delivery later, a single completed the chase and an extraordinary unbeaten 102.
Kishan finished 37 not out as India reached 172 for two in 14.4 overs, ending a contest that had briefly threatened to become competitive before Iyer's breathtaking intervention.
The West Indies will now look to regroup for the second match, having seen a promising start with the bat undermined by another middle-order collapse and then watched their bowlers struggle to contain one of India's most destructive innings of the series opener.
