Star West Indies allrounder Keemo Paul starred with a match-winning five-for to derail India’s chase after Shai Hope’s brilliant hundred, guiding the West Indies to a 24-run win in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday and setting up a series decider in Bengaluru.
Paul finished with figures of 5/41 in four overs, registering his second five-for in T20Is after taking 5/15 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2018. His match-winning spell helped the visitors defend a mammoth 247/3, powered by Hope’s unbeaten hundred and level the five-match series 2-2.
India ended at 223 all out in the final over.
India got off to a blazing start in the chase, with opener Sanju Samson taking the West Indies attack apart. He hammered 56 off just 23 deliveries, including
six boundaries and four sixes, as the hosts raced to 60/0 in four overs.
Samson brought up his fifty off just 20 deliveries, but Paul swung the momentum in the West Indies’ favour in the fifth over by dismissing the opener and Ishan Kishan in quick succession.
Samson was caught by Shimron Hetmyer, while Kishan fell for six off three deliveries, leaving India reeling at 69/2.
Shreyas Iyer tried to stabilise the innings but departed for 16 off 11 deliveries, falling to Shamar Springer. Abhishek Sharma, meanwhile, managed 29 off 24 balls, including three boundaries and a six, but couldn’t turn his start into a big score.
Gudakesh Motie dealt India a major blow with two wickets in the 12th over, dismissing Abhishek and Naman Dhir, who was stumped for a golden duck. Motie returned figures of 2/13 in two overs, leaving the hosts reeling at 132/5 and on the back foot.
Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy launched a spirited counterattack to bring India back into the contest, stitching together a 59-run partnership off just 26 deliveries. Tilak scored 43 off 25 balls, while Reddy smashed 41 off just 20 deliveries.
Reddy took on Shamar Joseph in the 16th over, collecting a boundary and two sixes in a 21-run over that brought India to 189/5.
(With PTI Inputs)
