India outclassed West Indies by 88 runs in fifth and final T20I.
India thrashed West Indies by 88 runs and sealed the series by a margin of 4-1. The visitors displayed a sensational performance with both bat and ball even in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who was rested.
Batting first, after winning the toss, even though India lost Ishan Kishan (11) early, Shreyas Iyer, who opened the innings, batted brilliantly and smashed 64 runs. He was supported well by Deepak Hooda, who scored 38 runs, as India posted a total of 188 runs on the board.
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With the ball, it was the spin trio of Akshar, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi, who took all the 10 wickets and bundled out the opposition for 100 runs to help their side complete a big win.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Hardik Pandya said that it was a special feeling for him to lead his side to victory.
"It's very special feeling to get a chance to lead your country. Obviously on then winning the game means a lot to me. Captain Ro did everything well before this game, so I just ensured that we kept doing the good work,” Hardik Pandya said.
Although Pandya would love to captain the side, his focus is currently on T20 World Cup 2022. He said that with all the talent in the team playing with freedom is the definition of ‘New India’.
“(On captaincy) Why not? If given a chance, I'll be more than happy to do it. But for now, we have a World Cup coming, it's about getting better as a team. The kind of talent the players we have and the freedom we're getting, this is the New India. I can see players playing with freedom and not worrying about failing,” he said.
Pandya talked about his decision to bowl Akshar in the power play.
“And when you do that, you tend to do special things. I wanted to give Axar the ball early because he is used to bowling in the powerplay, he is capable of holding his own and then with the wrist spinners, I knew we could get the wickets,” he said.
He added that although they are ready for the World Cup, they still want to learn with each game.
"It's about how we can get better from here. Preparation-wise we're ready for the World Cup but in this sport, you never stop learning. So it's about learning with each game,” he said.
India will now travel to Zimbabwe to play three ODIs. Shikhar Dhawan will captain the young side there.
(With Cricbuzz inputs)