After opting to field first, Indian captain Iyer saw the West Indies openers, Shai Hope and newcomer Kamil Pooran, attack aggressively. Hope, who had recently scored a remarkable 162 in the third ODI in New Chandigarh, continued his strong form by quickly scoring 21 runs off just 12 balls, hitting five boundaries. Notably, four of his boundaries came in one particularly costly over bowled by Mayank Yadav.
India responded before the end of the Powerplay. Arshdeep Singh got the first wicket when Pooran accidentally knocked a ball from outside off stump onto his stumps, ending Pooran’s debut innings after just 11 deliveries.
Axar Patel made an immediate impression when he came in to bowl the last over of the Powerplay. Sanju Samson’s sharp skills behind the stumps led to Shimron Hetmyer being run out, followed by Rovman Powell who was bowled just two balls later. Axar’s efforts meant he finished the over with a maiden and two crucial wickets, leaving the West Indies at 41 for 3 when the Powerplay concluded.
Hope then joined forces with Sherfane Rutherford to stabilize the innings during the middle overs. Together, they found gaps in the field and hit boundaries, allowing West Indies to reach 82 for 3 after 10 overs. They picked up the pace, scoring 18 runs off Axar’s next over and forming a strong 50-run partnership in just 30 balls.
