India withstood a late charge from rookie Christopher Barnwell to collect their maiden Twenty20 International victory over West Indies by 16 runs at Queen’s Park Oval here on Saturday.
The Indians successfully defended a target of 160, but Barnwell gave them some late jitters with two fours and three sixes in 34 not out from 16 balls in a last-ditch bid for a West Indies victory. The visitors’ spinners – like Pakistan’s before them – squeezed the West Indies top-order batting, despite an attractive, run-a-ball 41 from Darren Bravo. Harbhajan Singh was the most successful Indian bowler with two for 25 from his allotted four overs, conceding just 77 along with fellow off-spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Yusuf Pathan.
As a result of India’s stingy bowling, the home team – like the visitors without a number of leading players – could not overcome the rising scoring rate before a near capacity crowd that included embattled West Indies opener Chris Gayle, the leading scorer in the recent Indian Premier League.
In the closing overs, the visitors kept their cool, as Barnwell brought the crowd to their feet with some lusty blows, but it was all too little, too late.
“We allowed India to make 20 runs too many, when we bowled,” said Sammy.
“We need to go back to the drawing board and work out our ‘death bowling’. It did not go very well for us.” “When I went out for the toss, my spikes went right through the surface, so I knew there was a little moisture there, so it was a good toss to win, and we decided to field, but we did not restrict them to the total we wanted.”
“When we batted, we left ourselves too much to do in the end, but it was good to see T20 players like Barnwell showing that if we are in a good position, we can challenge totals.”
The two sides play the first One-day International in a series of five on Monday at the same venue.