India vs WI, 3rd T20I: Team India clean sweeps series to climb at top in T20 Rankings; Surya, Venkatesh shine

Kolkata, Feb 20: Rohit Sharma continued his unbeaten streak in the T20Is as Team India defeated West Indies by 17 runs in the third and final encounter here at Eden Gardens on Sunday (February 20).

Having set a target of 185 runs for the Kieron Pollard-led side, Indian bowlers once again rose to the occasion even as the opposition batters kept scoring at a decent pace by exploiting the dew factor well.

Harshal Patel emerged as the star with the ball for his side as he returned with impressive figures of 3/22 from his quota of four overs. The right-arm pacer once again absorbed the pressure by defending the target in the slog overs after Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer's 91-run partnership for the fifth wicket helped the team post a respectable total.

He was brilliantly supported by Shardul Thakur, Venkatesh Iyer and Deepak Chahar as all three of them returned with two wickets apiece. Indians were in a precarious situation when Chahar was retired hurt due to an injury in his foot but the rest of the bowlers ensured their team didn't miss the right-arm pacer.

With this win, the Rohit Sharma-led side climbed at the top of ICC T20I Rankings for teams. It was Team India's ninth consecutive T20I win under Rohit Sharma's leadership.

With 23 required from the last over bowled by Shardul Thakur, West Indies lost Dominic Drakes on the third delivery as Rohit took a superb diving catch at mid-off. Shardul conceded just 5 runs from that over and handed his team a massive win.

Indian bowlers did exceedingly well as they kept picking up wickets at regular intervals. Nicholas Pooran notched up his third consecutive fifty in the series but was unlucky to take his team past the finish line. He kept his good form with the bat on the tour, but he kept losing partners at the other end in the third T20I as Kieron Pollard, Jason Holder and Roston Chase were dismissed in quick succession.

Pooran - who got a reprieve on 37 when wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan failed to catch the inside edge off Ravi Bishnoi - went on scoring his third successive fifty in the series.

The left-handed batsman scored 50 off 39 deliveries but was dismissed for 61 off 47. Pooran mistimed the Shardul Thakur's cutter and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan took a well-judged catch with his gloves on to bring India back in the game.

Romario Shepherd's dangerous knock came to an end for 29 when he was caught at short cover by captain Rohit Sharma off Harshal Patel. Once he was dismissed, the Indian bowlers ensured the match didn't slip away from their grip.

Earlier in the day, Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer showcased their big-hitting prowess and scored helped India post 184 for five after being put in to bat first.

Suryakumar Yadav top-scored for the Indians with 65 off 31 balls while Venkatesh Iyer made 35 not out off 19 balls. Suryakumar's knock was laced with seven sixes and just one boundary in his destructive innings.

batsman, Iyer, too started from where he left in the 2nd T20I and finished with a flourish for the hosts. The lanky batter from MP scored unbeaten 35 off 19 balls and muscled Windies bowlers at will. Courtesy of their pyrotechnics, the Indians added 85 runs in the last 5 overs.

Put in to bat first, India had a poor start as the new opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad (4) and Ishan Kishan (34) failed to provide a brisk start in the powerplay. Ruturaj was dismissed by all-rounder Jason Holder in the third over mistimed a shot to be caught in the cover region by Kyle Myers.

Shreyas Iyer - who was included in the playing xi in the absence of Virat Kohli - walked into the middle at number three and played a short cameo of 16-ball 25. After Shreyas' dismissal, captain Rohit Sharma walked into the middle but he never looked in his elements. Kishan was the third Indian wicket to perish when he was clean bowled by Roston Chase while trying to hit heave the bowler but missed it completely.

Soon after, Kishan was joined by Rohit in the dugout when the right-handed batsman was clean bowled by Dominic Drakes. Rohit scored 7 off 15 and was dismissed while trying to clear the bowler over mid-wicket. When the captain was dismissed, India had lost four wickets and the scoreboard read 93 in the 14th over.

Rohit's dismissal, however, proved to be a blessing in disguise for Team India as Surya and Venkatesh gave Indians a late impetus at the Eden Gardens pitch.

Chase was once again the pick of the bowlers for West Indies as the right-arm off-spinner finished with figures of 1/23 from his quota of four overs. Holder and Hayden Walsh Junior also bowled economically. But the rest of the bowlers were taken to the cleaners in the slog overs.