Imperious Kohli writes off Williams and West Indies
He struggled initially but converted a nine-ball-three and a run-a-ball 20 into a match-winning 94 off 50
He struggled initially but converted a nine-ball-three and a run-a-ball 20 into a match-winning 94 off 50
Scorer: M Venkat Raghav | Commentator: @sreshthx
10.55pm So that's all from us at ESPNcricinfo. Some excellent batting from both sides today. Some very ordinary bowling, barring Chahal and Hayden Walsh Jr, though. See you in 48 hours for the second T20I. Till then, it's goodbye from Saurabh Somani and Sreshth Shah
10.45pm Time for the presentation.
Virat Kohli, the man of the match: "To young batsmen watching, don't follow the first half of my innings. I was batting poorly that time. I didn't want to put KL under pressure but I couldn't get going. Luckily got that one over from Holder, and then I began to analyse why I'm going wrong. Realised I'm not a slogger but a timer instead, and then changed my playing style. I'm not someone who wants to entertain by hitting in the air. The aim is not to play slam-bang cricket. One of Rohit or I have to play long in this team. That's the role I play in every team I play in. Basic funda is that I don't want to change my game too much for T20Is. I'm an all-format player. I just want to score runs every game. There are a lot of distractions when you're chasing a big total. Like the scoreboard. But after 4-5 dot balls, the game puts you in a zone where you have no option but to focus on the game again. Williams had given me the notebook when he dismissed me in Jamaica, so I remembered it from there. We gave each other a high-five later. Play hard but respect the opponent."
Kieron Pollard: "Batters did a good effort. You'd take 208 ten out of ten times. We lost due to the extras column. Nearly 2 and a half overs of extra deliveries. Yes, it was a batting wicket, but if we executed our plans better, it could've been a different story. There are only two areas where we lost the game in. Usually we tend to focus on negatives, but a lot of positives to takeaway today. King and Hetmyer showed great intent. Fielders did well. In the end, we need to improve, and we will win if we learn to tick more boxes. Can't fault the effort of the guys."
10.35pm We'll have the presentation soon. You don't want to miss what Kohli has to say tonight. By the way, if Kohli wins the MoM award, he will tie with Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi for most MoM awards in T20Is
Aravind: "That winning shot by Kohli today was almost a carbon copy of the one by Dinesh Karthik to steal the Nidahas Trophy from Bangladesh"
KL Rahul: "Everyone likes me when I score runs. In T20Is, I honestly don't plan my innings according to strike-rate, especially batting second. Depends more on the target. First few balls I'd still like to make use of the wicket. Important to lay a solid foundation as an opener, because there are power hitters in the back end. Want to do better in the next couple of games. Playing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy helped a lot. Doesn't matter how many hours you spend in the nets. Winning games gives me the most confidence. Did that with Karnataka, happy to do it with India. Good that I can carry my confidence across tournaments. Tried to keep the game simple."
Gsurav: "The only reason he doesn't have 100 hundreds by now is because he doesn't open. Another missed today because target achieved already. "
sravan: "It's a known and accepted fact all over the world by now that you don't rile up Kohli in a chase. WI didn't do their homework."
10.27pm India cruise to victory, and it's all thanks to the India captain, who accelerated beautifully through the innings to give India the 1-0 lead. Good to see Kohli and Pollard embrace too - shows that both men keep their differences on the field. Don't forget Rahul's innings either. He set the base for Kohli to ease into the chase.
Vijit Mahaur: "If Virat Kohli were a software, it would have got updates everyday."
Mayukh Banerjee: "WI conceded 23 extras compared to 6 by India. 17 "extra" extras count for a lot in a T20I"
Kohli's progression:
1-10 Balls - 7 runs
11-20 Balls - 13 runs
21-30 Balls - 19 runs
31-40 Balls- 28 runs
41-50 Balls - 27 runs
Devesh: "20 in his first 20 balls. 74 in his next 30. Masterclass stuff. "
Stat alert: This match witnessed the most sixes in a T20I game in India
Kohli only two runs away from his highest T20I score
India need seven off 10.
Dube at the non-striker's end
SS Iyer c & b Pollard 4 (6b 0x4 0x6) SR: 66.66
Arun Prakash: "I used to admire the wrist flick fours from VVS Laxman. But Virat's wrist flick sixes are just out of the world."
From a base of old-school virtues, KL Rahul has unleashed the white-ball monster in him over the last two years
After struggling to 20 off 20 balls, India's captain fired himself up and finished on 94 off 50, his highest score in T20Is
At a ground with a low catch-conversion rate in the IPL, India's fielders dropped at least five chances in the first T20I
The Indian captain acknowledged he was trying to hit the ball 'too hard' at the start, but the runs came when he reverted to type
KL Rahul also became the third fastest batsman to 1000 T20I runs in men's cricket