India Lewis control as Evin smashes century in only T20I

Chasing 191, West Indies smash 194-1 with nine balls to spare

KINGSTON: Evin Lewis blazed his second hundred against India to lead the West Indies to a rampaging nine-wicket victory in the one-off T20I at Sabina Park on Sunday.

Replying to the tourists’ challenging total of 190-6, Lewis stole the spotlight from returning local hero Chris Gayle with a blistering unbeaten 125 in taking the home side to 194-1 with nine balls to spare.

It was the first T20I hundred scored by a West Indian in the Caribbean, and puts the left-handed opener alongside Gayle and New Zealand's Brendon McCullum as the only players to have scored more than one century in the format.

Lewis’ innings was highlighted by 12 towering sixes and six fours off only 62 deliveries.

"It was at the back of my mind that I didn't get a score in the one-dayers but I just believe in backing myself and playing my style of game," said a delighted Lewis after receiving the man-of-the-match award. "This is a very good bowling team so any runs you get against them are really appreciated."

As well as the 25-year-old from Trinidad and Tobago played though, India did not help their cause by twice dropping him in the deep as he approached the half-century mark, Mohammad Shami and Dinesh Karthik the culprits in the field.

MS Dhoni also missed a stumping chance when Gayle was on one while Samuels benefited from a couple of narrow escapes in what was an untidy effort by India in the field.

Earlier, Indian captain Virat Kohli (39 off 22 balls) and Shikhar Dhawan (23 off 12) led the charge after they were sent in to bat by Carlos Brathwaite, the pair putting on 64 for the first wicket until both fell in the sixth over of the innings to Kesrick Williams.

"We fell about 30 runs short with the bat and if you don't grab your chances in the field you don't deserve to win," said an obviously disappointed Kohli. "Someone at the top of the order should have gotten at least 80-90 to take us up to 220-plus. But all these games are good indicators as to how some our guys respond to pressure situations."