Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill. (Twitter)
Gill’s 77-run knock and Jaiswal’s unbeaten 84 runs helped the men in blue complete the chase with 17 balls to spare.
The Indian cricket team registered a thumping 9-wicket win over the West Indies in the 4th T20I of the overseas tour on Saturday. The win in Florida helped the men in blue level the series 2-2.
West Indies won the toss and opted to have a bat first as the Indian bowling attack contained the big-hitting windies to a total of 178 runs for the loss of 8 wickets.
Kyle Mayers and Brandon King opened the innings for the Windies before Mayers fell prey to Indian seamer Arshdeep Singh in the second over of the game after having scored 17 runs off just 7 deliveries.
Shai Hope came to the crease and built a steady partnership with King before the latter was sent back to the dugout for 18 runs off 16 balls. King’s wicket was almost immediately followed by Nicholas Pooran’s dismissal for 1 run by Kuldeep Yadav.
Yadav also managed to scalp Rovman Powell for a solitary run after picking up the wicket of Pooran as the Windies middle order seemed to be crumbling.
But, Shimron Hetmyer and Hope steadied the ship as they put up a 49-run stand before Hope was out for 45 off 29 balls as he fell to Yuzvendra Chahal.
Romario Shepard and Jason Holder were sent back to the hut cheaply for 3 runs and 9 runs respectively by Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar, but Hetmyer continued his onslaught as he made 61 off just 39 deliveries.
Odean Smith and Akeal Hossain ended the day unbeaten on 15 and 5 runs respectively as India were given the target of 179 runs to chase.
The Indian opening pair of Yashavi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who have been touted as the two of the most prized possession in the arsenal of the men in blue, led from the front as they took the Windies bowling attack apart.
The openers played some incredible cricket to take the game away from the Windies as the pair put up a 165-run stand for the first wicket before Gill surrendered his wicket to Shepard after making 77 runs off just 47 deliveries.
Tilak Varma came in to replace Gill and made 7 off 5 without being dismissed, while Jaiswal top-scored for the men in blue with his unbeaten 84 runs off just 51 deliveries.
