India vs West Indies, 1st T20I - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

A contest so classically mundane, but at a micro level, astonishingly enthralling all the same. India's talisman, as he has been for a while now, pulled off a chase that was very much within the Kohli-zone, dropping jaws with the no-nonsense nature of the chase, as opposed to the teasing, asymptotic methods of his celebrated predecessor. And then of course, one can't miss out on the theatrics as every eye, natural and man-made, searches for that orange, nay, saffron 18 that Virat Kohli so vehemently tugs at. On that note, it's Rishi Roy, signing off alongside Nikhil Jadhav, Ramki MS, Akshay Maanay and Praveen, as the West Indies and the Indians alike, attempt to digest the enormity of this run-chase...

You know the script, you know what's going to happen, but you want to be a part of it. You want those jaws to hit the floor. For close to 80 percent of the contest, it was all maroon, it was all West Indies. It all started with a top-edged hook, and the multiple head-shots that left the canvas crimson. The young West Indian side knew not what hit them, but a few scarred veterans, did.

Most Man of the Match awards in T20Is
12 Virat Kohli
12 Mohammad Nabi
11 Shahid Afridi

Kohli (2/2): I don't want to change my game too much because I play all three formats. I just want to contribute in all three formats, that's what I want to do. I don't want to be a format specialist. When you are chasing a big total, there are a lot of distractions with the scoreboard pressure. But after a few dots, the game puts you in a position where you just have to hold your shape and play the shots. It's not the CPL (about Williams's celebration), it happened to me in Jamaica when he got me out. So I thought I'll tick a few in the notebook as well, but all good. There were a few words, but smiles at the end. That's what you want to see. Good competitive cricket but in the end shake hands and give a hi-fi. That's what cricket is all about. Play it hard but have respect for opponents.

Harsha Bhogle: The auto no-ball, the no-ball called by the third umpire, works. I have always liked the idea and I hope it stays.

Virat Kohli | India captain | Man of the Match (1/2): All the young batsmen watching don't follow the first half of my innings. That was really bad and I was trying to hit too hard (smiles). It was just about keeping up to the game because I didn't want to put KL (Rahul) under pressure, so tried to strike at 140 at least, but I couldn't get going properly. But I started to get going after that over from Jason. I analysed what went wrong and played accordingly in the second half of my innings. I was trying to hold my shape and realised I am not a slogger, so tried to rely on my timing. Whenever I play T20 cricket I am not someone who comes to the ground to hit the ball in the air to entertain the crowd. I focus on doing the job. Our strength as a team is to strike in the latter half of the innings.

Kieron Pollard | West Indies captain: 208 to defend, on any day, you'd take that 10 out of 10 times. Where we lost the game was the extras and our bowling. Our execution was poor. If we had executed the plans we had spoke about, despite the good batting wicket, it would have been a different scenario. There are two areas in any game, and with the bat the guys were exceptional. There are a lot of positives to take from this game. Hetmyer and Lewis got back amongst the runs and that was quite satisfying, but we need to do the all-round basics right. Hopefully I have an idea of when to come up the order as a captain, and in a pressure situation, it's important to push yourself and it's a pleasure to perform for your team any day and get them across the line.

Highest scores for Virat Kohli (T20I)
94* v WI Hyderabad 2019
90* v Aus Adelaide 2016
89* v WI Mumbai WS 2016
82* v Aus Mohali 2016
82 v SL Colombo RPS 2017

Highest targets chased down by India (T20I)
208 v WI Hyderabad 2019 *
207 v SL Mohali 2009
202 v Aus Rajkot 2013
199 v Eng Bristol 2018
198 v Aus SCG 2016

Most consecutive wins for India vs an opponent (T20I)
8 vs Ban (2009-18)
7 vs Aus (2013-17)
7 vs SL (2016-17)
7 vs WI (2018-19) *

Most runs conceded by a WI bowler (T20I)
60 K Williams v Ind Hyderabad 2019 *
56 N Miller v Aus SCG 2010
56 C Brathwaite v Ind Lucknow 2018
56 O Thomas v Ban Mirpur 2018

KL Rahul (speaking to the official broadcaster): Everybody likes me when I score runs, that's how it goes. I don't plan my innings according to the strike rate. Not much changes (approach during first innings or second innings). I want to get used to the wicket. If I get set, I can chase it down, I know that. My role is to set the foundation and we have others to do their job later, the finishing job. Today I missed out, but I'll try to do better in the next match. I knew this pitch was spongy, so I played that shot outside off from around the fourth stump line. In T20 cricket you can't stay behind the ball. I see where the gaps are during the powerplay, sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn't. You need runs as a batsman in any format, that is what gives you confidence. The thing that is giving me confidence is winning games (irrespective of the formats). I don't change my game when I play there (domestic) - that's how I like to keep it. I like to keep things simple.

Yes, West Indies posted a really good 207, but with the pitch being a belter and a combination of good Indian batting and a not-so-great West Indies bowling line-up, the chase was always on. And who enjoys a chase better than Kohli. Boy was he charged up! He was 3 off 9 balls and finishes with 94 runs off 50 balls in the end - last 68 runs coming off 25 balls. Rohit fell early, but KL Rahul played his shots. Kohli took his time and the duo added hundred runs for the second wicket. India could have finished this early had Rahul not thrown it away after his fifty. Pant hit a first ball six before attempting umpteen off-balance hits. But by then Kohli was into Williams and Pollard and even let out an imitation of Williams's notebook celebration from the CPL. Pollard tried to play mind games by running in and not delivering the ball. That only fuelled Kohli's fire and he responded with a brilliant six. Eventually, the Indian captain finished with a couple of stylish lofted drives over extra-cover to record his highest ever T20I score.

22:26 Local Time, 16:56 GMT, 22:26 IST: What a high intensity game of cricket. Firstly, thank you to both teams and it's great to see all the players exchanging pleasantries. They were high on adrenaline, but once the game is done, they get back to normalcy like nothing much happened. Cottrell hugs Kohli with a smile and then handshake and a pat from Pollard to Kohli. Kohli walks back like a king who's conquered the opposition and into the stairs he disappears to the dressing room after acknowledging the crowd. Phew, fantastic scenes out there, sport at its best.

Kesrick Williams to Kohli, SIX, and he signs off with a stunning flat lofted drive over extra-cover too. India have chased 208 with 8 balls to spare. What scenes from Kohli. He points to the back of his shirt towards his name and then lets out an intense roar. Pollard looks away. And then he takes the helmet off and has his arms aloft to all corners of the ground. Never seen Kohli this intense and animated recently

Kesrick Williams to Kohli, 2 runs, advances and drives to extra-cover

Kesrick Williams to Kohli, SIX, hey you! Such stunning, proper cricketing hits in this so-called kaboom short form of the game. Full delivery outside off stump, Kohli spots the ball early and plays a delightful lofted extra-cover drive

Kesrick Williams to Kohli, 2 runs, just a chip to deep mid-wicket

Shivam Dube, left handed bat, comes to the crease

Kesrick Williams [3.0-0-44-0] is back into the attack

Pollard to Shreyas Iyer, out Caught&Bowled!! Oh a stunner from Pollard in his followthrough. Brilliant catch and look at his reaction. He turns, looks at Kohli. Folds his hands, looks at the sky and points the finger. This is absolutely fine and good to watch than some needless words. Short of a length slower delivery outside off stump, Iyer lost shape trying to loft to long-off, hits it uppishly, Pollard flew full length to his left and pouched that. Made it look so simple. Shreyas Iyer c and b Pollard 4(6)