Iyer hits maiden T20I ton, Dhir takes 3 on debut as India thrash WI by 8 wickets

Skipper Shreyas Iyer led from the front with a maiden T20I century after all-rounder Naman Dhir made a dream debut with three wickets as India comfortably defeated West Indies by eight wickets in the first match here on Tuesday.

Dhir picked up three wickets with his off-spin to finish with impressive figures of 3/31, while Kuldeep Yadav took 2/33 as India, after opting to bowl, restricted West Indies to 171.

Iyer (102 not out) and Ishan Kishan (37 not out) then made short work of the chase, stitching together an unbeaten 137-run partnership for the third wicket to help India chase down the target in 14.4 overs.

Chasing the total, India didn’t have the best of starts as they lost both openers Abhishek Sharma (21) and Sanju Samson (11) inside four overs with the scoreboard reading 35.

Roston Chase picked up Abhishek in the third over, with Shimron Hetmyer taking a brilliant diving catch while running in from long-off. An over later, Sanju Samson departed, extending his lean patch since the Asian Games, as he sliced a short delivery back to Akeal Hosein, who took the catch off his own bowling.

Thereafter, skipper Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan stabilised the innings with a 137-run partnership. Iyer, in particular, looked ominous, smashing boundaries all around the ground and taking the initiative to guide the chase.

With his captain in great touch, Ishan played second fiddle as India remained in command, reaching 102 for two at the halfway mark.

Iyer was elegant with his strokeplay, finding the boundaries with classical shots, including a straight six over long-off off pacer Shamar Springer in the 11th over. The Mumbaikar remained in ominous touch and made the chase a cakewalk, smashing Hosein over long-off for a maximum before hitting the left-arm spinner through the same region for a boundary off the next ball. Iyer then went hammer and tongs, finding fours and sixes at will to bring up his century off 42 balls with a six over long-on off Chase.

Earlier, sent into bat, West Indies skipper Shai Hope started the innings in a flurry, smacking Mayank Yadav for four boundaries in the second over to set the tone. The four boundaries forced skipper Shreyas Iyer to replace Mayank with Axar Patel in third over. Arshdeep got the first breakthrough for India, cleaning up Kamil Pooran with a pitch-up delivery.

West Indies were dealt another blow in the sixth over when Shimron Hetmyer was run out while going for an unnecessary single.

It turned out to be a double blow for the West Indies as Axar cleaned up Rovman Powell in the sixth over with a pitch-up delivery after the right-hander went for a huge heave over square-leg.

Sherfane Rutherford (56 off 34) gave the much-needed impetus to West Indies’ innings with the left-hander hitting Kuldeep Yadav for two sixes in the ninth over and then smashing Axar for two boundaries and a six in the 11th over.

Hope, who played the second fiddle after Rutherford’s entry, departed in the 12th over after a nicely crafted 52 off 37 balls. He was caught at deep midwicket by Axar off debutant Dhir’s bowling.

Kuldeep then trapped Roston Chase plumb in front of the wicket as West Indies slipped to 114 for 5 in 12.3 overs.

After being clobbered over deep square leg for a maximum by Romario Shepherd, Dhir came back strongly to pick up his man, caught at long-off boundary by Tilak Varma.

Ishan Kishan then took a brilliant catch at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Kuldeep to sent Rutherford packing.

Dhir picked up his third wicket in the form of Shamar Springer, caught by Axar at boundary with a toss-up delivery after he was hit for a six in the earlier ball.

Returning to the set-up after an injury lay-off, pacer Mayank looked ordinary as he was taken to task by the West Indies batters before getting a wicket in the penultimate over in the form of Rutherford, caught by Dhir at deep square leg.

Axar completed the formalities, dismissing up Akeal Hosein, caught by Ishan at long-on boundary.