WI vs IND | Twitter in awe of Pooran's blockbuster knock as hosts power home by 2 wickets in Guyana

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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West Indies once proved to be too much for the Indian unit at the Providence Stadium on Sunday as they took a 2-0 series lead. A clinical bowling effort restricted India to 152 before Nicholas Pooran stole the show with the bat, ensuring their surge towards the end proved to be too little too late.

Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bat but his openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan failed to capitalize on the fact as India got off to another slow start on a tricky surface. The former eventually succumbed to Alzarri Joseph in the third over before Kyle Mayers handed the visitors another blow four balls later by running out the world's top-ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav with a brilliant direct hit, leaving India reeling at 18/2. The young Tilak Varma once again took it upon himself to stabilize the sinking ship and registered a maiden fifty in just his second outing even as wickets kept tumbling at the other end. By the time he returned to the pavilion for 51 off 41 deliveries, the Men in Blue were well-positioned for a strong finish at 114/5 with four overs to go but a clinical opposition bowling attack kept them in check. It eventually took a 13-run last over courtesy of tailenders Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi to take the visitors to a competitive total of 152/6.

In response, the Maroon Brigade were immediately pushed onto the backfoot as Brandon King drove the first ball of the innings straight to a diving SKY at cover on the first ball of the innings before Johnson Charles mimicked the opener's effort just three balls later to hand Pandya his second scalp. The explosive Kyle Mayers provided the Windies with some impetus through two boundaries and a maximum but was trapped in front of the stumps by Arshdeep Singh in the third over to leave the side reeling at 32/3. However, thereon it was all about the Nicholas Pooran show as he exhibited lucid power-hitting to race to 67 at a strike rate of 167.50. He struck six fours and cleared the boundary four times in the process, thus ensuring that when he departed the required equation had whittled down to a nominal 27 in five overs with as many wickets in hand. Yet, in an extraordinary twist, the hosts lost three wickets in the 16th over as 126/4 became 129/8, once again turning the tide in India's favour. Nevertheless, tailenders Akeal Hossein and Alzarri kept their cool with clinical knocks of 16 and 10 respectively to take the side home with seven balls to spare. 

They tried all their best!

Did but lost!

Dhuk Dard!!!

Hahaha!

Great win!

What a victory!

Gotta be!

Back to back!

They deserve it here!

Brilliant one!

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