Nicholas Pooran scored his third consecutive half-century against India but it was not enough to prevent the tourists from losing by 17 runs and getting swept in the final match of their international T20 series at Kolkata on Sunday (February 20).

Chasing 185 for victory after India had scored 184-5 from their 20 overs, the West Indies struggled to keep pace with the required rate of scoring while losing wickets regularly. They were 100-6 in the 12th over with only Rovman Powell’s 25 from 13 balls being the only score of note.

However, Pooran and Romario Shepherd added 48 for the seventh wicket before the former got out for 61 trying to force the scoring rate. Shepherd eventually fell for 29, which effectively killed any chance of the West Indies achieving their target, finishing on 167-9.

Harshel Patel was the best of the Indian bowlers with 3-22. Deepak Chahar bowled beautifully at the death taking 2-15 from 1.5 overs while Venkatesh Iyer finished with 2-23. Shardul Thakur took 2-33, including the wicket of Pooran.

Earlier, the West Indies started well, restricting India to 93-4 after 13.5 overs but that was where the match turned on the brilliant efforts of Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh, who proceeded to plunder 91 runs from the final 6.1 overs to propel India to their eventual score.

Suryakumar smashed one four and seven sixes in his 31-ball knock before he was dismissed off the first ball of the 20th over for 65. Venkatesh remained unbeaten on 35, including four fours and two sixes from the 19 balls he faced.

The final score proved to be more than enough for India against the West Indies, who were also whitewashed 3-0 in the ODI series that preceded the T20 series.