Lucknow | All-rounder Naman Dhir had a dream debut, picking up three wickets with his off-spin to India help bowl out West Indies for 171 in the first T20 International of the five-match series here on Tuesday.
Dhir finished with impressive figures of 3/31, while Kuldeep Yadav also scalped 2 for 33 to help India restrict West Indies to a manageable total.
Sent into bat, West Indies skipper Shai Hope started the innings in a flurry, smacking Mayank Yadav for four boundaries in the second over to set the tone.
The four boundaries forced skipper Shreyas Iyer to replace Mayank with Axar Patel in third over.
Arshdeep got the first breakthrough for India, cleaning up Kamil Pooran with a pitch-up delivery.
West Indies were dealt another blow in the sixth over when Shimron Hetmyer was run out while going for an unnecessary single.
It turned out to be double blow for the West Indies as Axar cleaned up Rovman Powell in the sixth over with a pitch-up delivery after the right-hander went for a huge heave over square-leg.
Sherfane Rutherford (56 off 34) gave the much needed impetus to West Indies' innings with the left-hander hitting Kuldeep Yadav for two sixes in the ninth over and then smashing Axar for two boundaries and a six in the 11th over.
Hope, who played the second fiddle after Rutherford's entry, departed in the 12th over after a nicely-crafted 52 off 37 balls. He was caught at deep midwicket by Axar off debutant Dhir's bowling.
Kuldeep then trapped Roston Chase plumb in front of the wicket as West Indies slipped to 114 for 5 in 12.3 overs.
After being clobbered over deep square leg for a maximum by Romario Shepherd, Dhir came back strongly to pick up his man, caught at long-off boundary by Tilak Varma.
Ishan Kishan then took a brilliant catch at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Kuldeep to sent Rutherford packing.
Dhir picked up his third wicket in the form of Shamar Springer, caught by Axar at boundary with a toss up delivery after he was hit for a six in the earlier ball.
Returning to the set-up after an injury lay-off, pacer Mayank looked ordinary as he was taken to task by the West Indies batters before getting a wicket in the penultimate over in the form of Rutherford, caught by Dhir at deep square leg.
Axar completed the formalities for India, dismissing up Akeal Hosein, caught by Ishan at long on boundary.
Scoreboard of the first T20I between India and West Indies here on Tuesday.
West Indies Innings:
Shai Hope c Axar Patel b Naman Dhir 52
Kamil Pooran b Arshdeep Singh 12
Shimron Hetmyer run out (Shreyas Iyer/Sanju Samson) 5
Rovman Powell b Axar Patel 0
Sherfane Rutherford c Naman Dhir b Mayank Yadav 56
Roston Chase lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 5
Romario Shepherd c Tilak Varma b Naman Dhir 7
Matthew Forde c Ishan Kishan b Kuldeep Yadav 2
Shamar Springer c Axar Patel b Naman Dhir 9
Akeal Hosein c Ishan Kishan b Axar Patel 15
Shamar Joseph batting 0
Extras: (B-2, LB-5, NB-1) 8
Total: (All out, 19.1 Overs) 171
Fall of Wickets: 38-1, 44-2, 44-3, 107-4, 114-5, 121-6, 124-7, 135-8, 171-9, 171-10.
Bowling: Arshdeep Singh 4-0-34-1, Mayank Yadav 4-0-40-1, Axar Patel 3.1-1-26-2, Kuldeep Yadav 4-0-33-2, Naman Dhir 4-0-31-3.
