Florida: Indian openers Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal's half centuries and a grand opening stand helped India to square series 2-2 after registering 9 wickets victory over West Indies in the fourth T20I match at Lauderhill's Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground here on Saturday.
The Indian openers stitched a match-winning 165 runs partnership for the first wicket, and scored 66 runs in an eventful powerplay, chasing a very competitive 179 runs target. They got the ball over the ropes on plenty of occasions, and without losing any wicket.
Jaiswal made an unbeaten 84 runs off 51 balls with 11 boundaries and 3 sixes. Gill, on the other hand, made 77 off 47 balls by smacking 3 boundaries and 5 sixes.
Jaiswal, who smacked his maiden T20I fifty, started his innings with a bang by getting two boundaries each against Obed McCoy and Jason Holder in the very first two overs of India's innings.
Gill, who did not go past two-digit scores in the series, waited to get his eyes in and made runs in boundaries. At the other end, Gill dealt in sixes off Odeam Smith in 4th and 6th over.
Jaiswal pummeled Smith to milk 15 runs in the 13th over, getting India closer to the much-needed victory.
Both Gill and Jaiswal reached their fifties in the 11th over. While Gill got to his milestone by cutting Rovman Powell behind square on the off-side for two runs, Jaiswal got to his fifty in a great style as he shuffled across a long way and broomed it over backward square leg for a boundary.
They continued to score at a brisk rate and brought up the century partnership in the tenth over. The opening stand eventually came to an end when Gill holed out to deep mid-wicket, but it was too late for Windies as India romped home with 18 balls to spare.
Earlier, Shimron Hetmyer's 39-ball 61 helped West Indies post a competitive 178/8.
Hetmyer's crucial 44 runs partnership for 8th wicket also played a stellar role in taking the hosts to a strong position after they were reduced to 123/7 at one stage.
Hetmyer, who was not getting a big score under his belt, ran form into the match as he took on Axar Patel and Indian pacers - Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar. However, he treated specialist spinners - Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Wickets kept falling, and the hosts were in deep wood in the 16th over.
Opener Kyle Myers got off to a flier, scoring 17 off six balls, before edging to Sanju Samson who leapt to take a sharp catch behind the stumps off a 135kph shortish ball.
Brandon King was caught by Kuldeep who dived to his left at short third man off Arshdeep after making 18 (16 balls 6X2). Nicholos Pooran did not last long as Kuldeep had him for one, caught by Suryakumar Yadav at long-on.
Kuldeep continued to weave his magic. He foxed Rovman Powell (1) with a wrong one, edging the ball that flew towards Shubman Gill who moved swiftly to his right to take a smart catch at slip.
Shai Hope, playing his first game of the series, held the innings together with a 29-ball 45 with 3 boundaries and 2 sixes. He was caught trying to play against Chahal's drifter which landed under Axar's throat.
Arshdeep bagged 3 wickets and Kuldeep was impressive for his two wickets. (UNI)
