PORT OF SPAIN:
India withstood a late charge from rookie Christopher Barnwell to beat the West Indies in the Twenty20 International.
Barnwell had given the visitors some late jitters with an unbeaten 16-ball 34 in a last-ditch bid for a West Indies victory after India’s spinners squeezed the hosts’ top-order, despite a 41 from Darren Bravo.
Harbhajan Singh was the most successful bowler with two for 25 and was supported well by Ravichandran Ashwin and Yusuf Pathan.
India captain Suresh Raina was all praise for his young side. “Our bowlers played really well,” he said. “We have young players, who’ve done well in domestic cricket. This was an important victory.”
Earlier, Subramaniam Badrinath stroked 43 to revive the visitors, and lead them to 159 for six, after captain Darren Sammy undermined their top-order with figures of four for 16. Badrinath struck five fours to breathe life into the innings, after the visitors stumbled to 63 for four.
He shared a 61-run fifth-wicket stand with Rohit Sharma, and inspired controlled late-order hitting to add 72 from the final five overs.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2011.
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