Indian cricketer Krunal Pandya (L) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of West Indies cricketer Kieron Pollard during the first T20 cricket match between India and West Indies at the Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata on November 4, 2018. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP) / ----IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE----- / GETTYOUT
Kolkata, November 4 (PTI): India stuttered to a five-wicket win over West Indies in the first T20I at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.
After losing wickets at regular intervals, India fought well. Karthik was the top-scorer for India with 31 runs. He first stitched up a 38-run partnership with Manish Pandey and then joined hands with Krunal (21 off 9 balls) to take India across the finish line.
Oshane Thomas was the pick of the bowlers for the Windies with figures of 2 for 21 off his four overs.
Earlier, spinner Kuldeep Yadav led the Indian bowlers' fine show with three wickets to restrict West Indies to 109 for eight in their first T20 International in Kolkata on Sunday.
Electing to field on a dew-laden Eden Gardens, India responded well with the pacers giving them a fine start after Umesh Yadav dismissed Denesh Ramdin in the third over.
Debutant Khaleel Ahmed (1/16) and Jasprit Bumrah (1/27) ensured that the Windies run-rate dried up before the spin duo of Krunal Pandya (1/15) and Kuldeep made merry. Kuldeep (3/13) also completed 100 wickets in T20 cricket.
Tottering at 63 for seven inside 15 overs, the Windies looked to fold up inside 100 but Fabian Allen (27 from 20 balls) and Khary Pierre (15 not out from 13 balls) lifted the total past 100.
Debutant Krunal finished with excellent figures of 1/14 bowling his four overs at a stretch.
After being hit for a six by Kieron Pollard in his first over, the left-arm spinner not only dismissed the explosive batsman but conceded just four runs in his final three overs to finish on a high.
Down with a gastric complaint, Bhuvneshwar Kumar pulled out of the match in the last minute despite being named in the XII, but his absence was hardly felt with Yadav and debutant and Khaleel doing a fine job.
Left-arm pacer, Khaleel, was sensational giving away just 10 runs from his three overs, including a maiden over to Pollard.
It was in the same over the Windies batsmen made a mockery of running between the wickets and were sprinting against each other after a confusion.
Opener Shai Hope, who had impressed with an unbeaten 123 and 95 in the ODI series, was the poor victim.
Introduced in the fifth over, Bumrah picked up another in-form batsman -- Shimron Hetmyer (10) -- in his fourth over.
Runs dried up early as the visitors struggled at 31 for three, and the World T20 champions never looked at ease in their favourite format, taking 62 balls to complete 50 runs.
