Suryakumar's 83 pulls one back for India

A relentless Suryakumar Yadav denied West Indies the opportunity to wrap up the five-match T20I series before it shifted base to the United States as his 44-ball 83 was pivotal in India's comfortable seven-wicket win in chase of 159/5. Suryakumar had Tilak Varma for company, who carried on from his fifty in the previous game to get an unbeaten 49 off 37 and see off the chase after the former's dismissal.

How Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma began

Suryakumar walked out to bat on the fifth ball of the first over after debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal miscued a big shot across the line on a slower ball from Obed McCoy. Suryakumar straightaway laid down his murderous intention for the evening by whipping the first ball he faced for a four over mid-wicket and then followed it up with a pull over square leg for a six. He then went down on one knee against Akeal Hosein, shaping up to play a sweep but instead sliced it over point.

Alzarri Joseph dented India for the second time in the PowerPlay when he dismissed Shubman Gill but Tilak Varma walked out and sang a similar tune to Suryakumar. The first two balls he faced were both hit for fours - through extra cover and then over short third man. The duo then took McCoy apart in the last over of the PowerPlay to take India to 60/2 in 6 overs.

Suryakumar carries on...

Tilak camped at the non-striker's end to watch a familiar carnage unfold as Suryakumar continued to play his shots and reached his 50 in just 23 balls. Even as a drizzle came around, there was no respite for the West Indies bowlers as Suryakumar was in sublime touch, unfurling one audacious stroke after another. Romario Shepherd attempted to change the course of the game by taking the pace off the ball against the swashbuckler but in vain as Suryakumar saw through and found ways to shift across and hit him over fine leg as well as backward point. India coasted to 97 for 2 in 10 overs, the asking rate dragged down to just 6.30 an over.

Suryakumar's urgency to get India on the series scoresheet meant India were well ahead of the DLS par score, if rain made a bigger intervention than just the drizzle that was around. Suryakumar looked on course to even get a hundred before polishing off the chase when he perished to an innocuous leg side ball that he flicked with all his might straight to Brandon King at fine leg.

Tilak and Hardik Pandya's finishing touches

Tilak took back control following Suryakumar's exit and ensured there were no late slip ups like they'd crept in, in the opening game of the series. Tilak finished one short of a second successive T20I fifty as Hardik Pandya completed the chase with a six down the track off Powell in the 18th over.

About the first innings...

The early spin shenanigans

Hardik Pandya used four overs of spin in the PowerPlay to put the West Indian top-order off their game. They responded by hitting each of India's three spinners for a four or a six off the first ball of their respective opening overs (including Kuldeep Yadav's over in the seventh) to stamp their authority. They reached 38/0 in 6 overs, with 29 of those coming from four overs of spin.

The next fours overs, also all spin, fetched 35 runs for the loss of Kyle Mayers's wicket, taking West Indies to 73/1 in 10 overs.

The Kuldeep-v-Pooran mini-tussle

12 runs | 6 Balls | 1 dismissal

West Indies' most exciting batter in the format walked out to face Kuldeep, who'd just trapped Johnson Charles leg before and sent him packing with an excellent review. On the second ball he faced from the wrist spinner, he danced down the track, only to york himself. He repeated it just the next ball, and connected to smash a six over long-on and then premeditated a switch hit to cart a leg side ball over extra cover. Pooran's adventurous attempts to throw Kuldeep off his rhythm brought his downfall as the next time he stepped out to play a big shot, he missed and was stumped in the 15th over.

Kuldeep turned the screws further on West Indies by ending Brandon King's stay for a run-a-ball 42 as the opener reached out to a ball that was outside the off-stump and turned further away and hit it straight back to the bowler.

Rovman Powell blitz at the death

West Indies got 10, 8, 17 and 11 in the last four overs with Powell finishing with an unbeaten 40 off just 19 balls to carry his side past the 150-run mark. Powell was particularly disdainful against Arshdeep Singh, starting off with a six over extra cover at the start of the 19th over. Arshdeep missed with his attempted wide yorkers, conceded extras as well as another six in the expensive over. Mukesh Kumar, who was bowling just his second over of the game and the last of the innings, was hit for a big six in the 11-run over. Powell's efforts took West Indies to a sizeable total, which Suryakumar picked apart expertly in chase.

Brief Scores: West Indies 159/5 in 20 overs (Brandon King 42, Rovman Powell 40*; Kuldeep Yadav 3-28) lost to India 164/3 in 17.5 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 83, Tilak Varma 49) by 7 wickets