India vs Windies, 1st T20I - India Player Ratings

Chasing 109 in a T20I seems like a cakewalk on most occasions. Considering the fact that the track also offers something to the batters, things only seem easier. However, Team India ended up converting that into a tricky run chase at the Eden Gardens in the first T20I against the touring Windies. They hiccupped all the way through to eventually win the game by 5 wickets, and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Coming into the game, the Men in Blue had the confidence after winning the Test and the ODI series. However, the Windies camp were never taken lightly as they entered their most preferred format of the game. Having been asked to bat first, the flamboyant batting lineup ended up faltering on the day as Kuldeep Yadav and debutant Krunal Pandya combined together to concede just 28 runs in 8 overs, whilst accounting for 4 wickets.

In the chase, the Indian lineup saw wickets falling at regular intervals with Oshane Thomas and Carlos Brathwaite bowling exceptional spells on the day. But it was a steady head Dinesh Karthik who anchored the run chase and a quick hand from Pandya only accelerated the proceedings for the hosts.

Here are the India Player Ratings for the match:

Rohit Sharma – 3/10

He led the Indian team in absence of Virat Kohli. The in-form batter had a quiet outing on the field though. Considering the camaraderie he shares with the venue, many expected him to call the shots in the match. However, Rohit could only score 6 before heading back to the pavilion. With the captaincy hat, Rohit was spot on with field placements and bowling changes.

Shikhar Dhawan – 1/10

Dhawan’s dismal run against the Windies this season continued. Yet again, it was Oshane Thomas who proved to be his nemesis. It was 147 kmph bullet from Thomas that rattled the woodwork of the veteran southpaw for 3.

KL Rahul – 3/10

Rahul got his first opportunity to play in the limited-overs team in the ongoing tour. He arrived at the crease in the very second over after the dismissal of the skipper. He had his time to set in and play a good knock. He took his time, ended up playing 22 deliveries. However, did not look comfortable at the crease and stuttered his way to 16 before mistiming a pull shot.

Manish Pandey – 3/10

After having warmed up the bench for the entire duration of the ODI series, Pandey finally got a game in the T20Is. Much like every other batsman in the side, he had his opportunity as well. And he could not be the man for India on the day. In his defence, Pandey did manage to hold the fort at the crease tickling away with singles. He scored 19 off 24 deliveries.

Rishabh Pant – 1/10

Pant played the game as a specialist batsman. He was sent to play in at number 4. One would want to believe that Pant probably got it horribly wrong in the match. He looked to attack a little bit too early and ended up perishing on 1.

Dinesh Karthik – 7/10

While the younger lot of the Indian middle order kept throwing their wickets away, it was veteran batter Dinesh Karthik who showed exemplary skills to hold one end at the crease. Karthik got his eyes in and ensured that he stayed on till the very final ball of the chase. He remained unbeaten on 31 that came of 34 balls with 3 boundaries and a six to his name. All three boundaries came off Kieron Pollard’s over, that proved to be a turning point in the game.

Krunal Pandya – 9/10

Baroda all-rounder Krunal Pandya made his international debut in the match. He got the wicket of Kieron Pollard as his first international scalp and there was certainly some franchise love shown by the left-arm spinner after taking the wicket.

Pandya was very impressive on debut. Bowling in tandem with Kuldeep Yadav, Pandya successfully choked the run flow. He finished with figures of 1/15 in his four overs to have an excellent maiden outing. Also, he played a handy cameo with the bat, an unbeaten 21 off just 9 deliveries to steer India home in the run chase.

Kuldeep Yadav – 9.5/10

Kuldeep Yadav emerged as the pick of the bowlers for Team India in the match. The Windies batters looked absolutely clueless against the left armer. In the four overs that Kuldeep bowled, he conceded just 13 runs, whilst taking three big wickets. He ran through the opposition middle order dismissing Darren Bravo, Rovman Powell, and Carlos Brathwaite.

Jasprit Bumrah – 7.5/10

In absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the onus was on Jasprit Bumrah to play the spearhead of the Indian bowling attack. Bumrah went about his business in the usual manner and bowled a mixture of yorkers and slower ones to keep the batters at bay. He proved why he is the best Indian bowler in the shortest format. He was economical as he finished with 1/27 in his four overs. He accounted for the wicket of Shimron Hetmyer.

Khaleel Ahmed – 8/10

After an impressive run in the ODI format, Khaleel Ahmed earned his maiden T20I callup in the series. He made his debut in the match and had an excellent start. He bowled a maiden in his spell of four overs and conceded just 16 runs. He looked immaculate with his lines and finished with figures of 1/16.

Umesh Yadav – 4/10

Umesh Yadav turned out to be the most expensive bowler for India on the day. He got off to a brilliant start in the match, dismissing Denesh Ramdin on 2 in his second over. However, when he returned for his spell in the death overs, he was taken away for aplenty by the Windies tailenders. In the four overs that he bowled, he conceded 36 runs.

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