King reigns as Windies hand India a series defeat

Just a month after they failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup, West Indies have produced a remarkable T20 series win over India.

The Windies ended India's fightback in Florida and won the fifth T20I by eight wickets with 12 balls remaining.

India lost the first two games of the series in the Caribbean. They chose to bat first in the fifth T20 and scored 9-165 at Central Broward Stadium. In reply, West Indies reached 2-171 in 18 overs with both innings interrupted by bad weather.

West Indies opener Brandon King propelled the chase from the start. His 55-ball 85 not out included six sixes – one of which brought up his 50 – and five fours. King shared a 107-run stand with Nicholas Pooran (47) for the second wicket.

Earlier, India's openers failed to repeat their dominance from only 24 hours earlier at the same stadium in the fourth T20, where they had a 165-run stand. This time Yashasvi Jaiswal (5) was out in the first over. He was caught and bowled by spinner Akeal Hosein (2-24), who then reduced India to 2-17 after Shubman Gill (9) was trapped leg before wicket.

No.3 Suryakumar Yadav top scored for India with a 45-ball 61. Fast-medium bowler Romario Shepherd took 4-31.

India was unchanged from the team that thrashed West Indies on Saturday by nine wickets. West Indies brought back pacer Alzarri Joseph and strengthened its spin options through Roston Chase with Obed McCoy and Odean Smith missing out. But Joseph was expensive. His three wicket-less overs went for 41 runs.

India won the third T20 by seven wickets in Providence, Guyana, before the series moved to Florida. West Indies won the second T20, also at Providence Stadium, by two wickets after the hosts also won the opener by four runs in Tarouba, Trinidad.