HYDERABAD, Dec 6: India beat West Indies by six wickets in the first T20 International to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series here on Friday.
Put into bat, the West Indies scored 207 for 5 but India rode on superb innings from Virat Kohli (94 not out) and KL Rahul (62) to overhaul the target, scoring 209 for four in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Shimron Hetmyer struck a quick half-century as West Indies produced a fine batting display to post a challenging 207 for 5 against India in the first T20 International of the three-match series here on Friday.
An aggressive Hetmyer made 56 off 41 balls which was studded with two boundaries and four hits over the fence to hold West Indies from one end after being sent into bat.
He first added 37 runs with Brandon King (31 off 23 balls) and then shared 71 runs with skipper Kieron Pollard (37 off 19 balls) to lay the base for the West Indies total.
The Indians, however, were far from impressive on the field as Washington Sundar and Rohit Sharma dropped a few catches.
Off-spinner Washington Sundar (1/34) leaked runs in the first over before Deepak Chahar (1/56) gave India the breakthrough in the next over, taking the wicket of Lendl Simmons, caught by Rohit Sharma in the first slip.
Evin Lewis (40 off 17) and young King then added 51 runs for the second wicket, during which they played some fearless shots, to take West Indies forward.
SCORECARD
West Indies: LMP Simmons c Sharma b Chahar 2, E Lewis lbw b Washington Sundar 40, BA King st Pant b Jadeja 31, SO Hetmyer c Sharma b Chahal 56, KA Pollard b Chahal 37, JO Holder not out 24, D Ramdin not out 11; Extras 6 (lb 2, w 4). Total 207/5 (20 Overs). Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-64, 3-101, 4-172, 5-173. Bowling: Washington Sundar 3- 0- 34-1, DL Chahar 4-0-56-1, B Kumar 4-0-36-0, RA Jadeja 4-0-30-1, YS Chahal 4-0-36-2, S Dube
1-0-13-0.
India: RG Sharma c Hetmyer b Pierre 8, KL Rahul c Pollard b Pierre 62, V Kohli not out 94, RR Pant c Holder b Cottrell 18, SS Iyer c & b Pollard 4, S Dube not out 0; Extras 23 (b 4, lb 2, nb 3, w 14). Total 209/4 (18.4 Overs). Fall of wickets:
1-30, 2-130, 3-178, 4-193. Bowling: SS Cottrell 4-0-24-1, JO Holder 4-0-46-0, K Pierre 4-0-44-2, HR Walsh 2-0-19-0, KOK Williams 3.4-0-6-0, KA Pollard 1-0-10-1. � PTI
