Shikhar Dhawan smashed a career-best 92 to guide India to a thrilling six-wicket win over the West Indies in the third and final T20 International, thus completing a 3-0 clean sweep on Sunday. Dhawan hit 10 fours and two sixes in his 62-ball innings and forged a scintillating 130-run partnership with Rishab Pant (58) for the third wicket to take India home in the last ball of the innings.
There was some drama towards the end as India lost the wickets of Pant and Dhawan leaving the host to score one run off the last delivery bowled by Fabian Allen to secure the victory. Manish Pandey and Dinesh Karthik ran the single after Allen misfielded the former’s shot to pick up the winning run.
Earlier, left-handed batsman Nicholas Pooran’s quick-fire half-century powered West Indies to a competitive 181 for 3. Chasing the target of 182 to win, Dhawan and Rishabh came together at 45 for 2 after India had lost skipper Rohit Sharma (4) and K L Rahul (17).
The Delhi duo put up a splendid show, treating the spectators at the M A Chidambaram stadium to some spectacular shots with Pant, in particular, showing a penchant to go for the big shots.
Earlier, Pooran blasted four boundaries and as many sixes in his 25-ball unbeaten innings. His blistering 87-run unbeaten partnership in 43 balls with fellow southpaw Darren Bravo (43 off 37 balls) enabled the team move from 94 for 3 to 181 in the allotted 20 overs. Reeling after two crushing defeats, the West Indies showed the stomach to fight as they batted with a lot more purpose here.
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