Lucknow, Oct 2026 : Naman Dhir produced an impressive bowling performance on his T20I debut, returning figures of 3/31, while Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav claimed two wickets each as India bowled out West Indies for 171 in 19.1 overs in the first T20I at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday.
Dhir’s three-wicket haul was the third-best by an Indian bowler on T20I debut and played a key role in India’s fightback after the West Indies made a brisk start. Skipper Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford struck half-centuries for the visitors, but India’s bowlers kept making regular breakthroughs to prevent West Indies from converting their promising positions into a bigger total.
Hope gave West Indies an aggressive start and appeared particularly comfortable against Mayank Yadav, taking 16 runs from the second over. India, however, responded during the powerplay through Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel.
The visitors suffered their first setback when Kamil Pooran was dismissed for 12. Shimron Hetmyer was then run out for five before captain Rovman Powell was dismissed for a duck, leaving West Indies struggling at 44/3 after six overs.
Hope remained composed amid the early setbacks, scoring 52 and helping West Indies rebuild. He was joined by Rutherford, and the pair added an unbeaten 38-run stand to take the score to 82/3 at the drinks break. Rutherford was unbeaten on 18, while Hope continued to anchor the innings and looked to set up a strong finish.
Powell’s early dismissal also extended his struggles against Axar. The left-arm spinner has now dismissed the West Indies batter twice in T20 cricket, with Powell managing only 17 runs from 13 balls against him.
Axar’s opening spell also added to his growing record in T20Is. His sixth maiden over moved him behind only Jasprit Bumrah, with 13, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with 10, among Indian bowlers for maidens in the format. His four maiden overs in the first six overs put him level with Bumrah and behind Bhuvneshwar, who has six.
Hope brought up his 13th T20I half-century from 36 balls, continuing his strong form from the preceding ODI series. However, his innings ended immediately after reaching the landmark.
Dhir, making his international debut, claimed the prized wicket when Hope holed out to Axar at deep midwicket for 52. His dismissal ended a 63-run partnership with Rutherford and gave India the opening they needed to take control of the middle overs.
Kuldeep then struck in successive overs. The left-arm wrist-spinner trapped Roston Chase leg before wicket for five before dismissing Matthew Forde for two.
Forde’s dismissal came after an excellent piece of fielding from Ishan Kishan at deep midwicket. Kishan moved quickly to his left and completed a difficult catch despite losing his balance, adding to India’s pressure on the visitors.
Romario Shepherd briefly threatened to revive West Indies’ innings when he smashed a six, but his stay was short-lived. He sliced a delivery from Dhir towards long-off, where Tilak Varma completed the catch for seven.
Dhir then claimed his third wicket when Shamar Springer attempted to attack him but holed out to Axar after hitting the debutant for a maximum. Dhir finished his four overs with figures of 3/31, becoming only the third Indian spinner to take three wickets on T20I debut.
Rutherford, meanwhile, continued to keep West Indies in contention. He reached his half-century from just 31 balls, recording his seventh T20I fifty. His aggressive innings proved particularly important after West Indies lost several wickets to India’s spinners during the middle overs.
Rutherford eventually fell for 56, becoming Mayank’s first wicket of the match. He was dismissed by a length delivery as India tightened their grip on the innings.
West Indies then lost their remaining wickets quickly, with Axar claiming his second wicket as India completed the clean-up operation. The visitors were bowled out for 171 in 19.1 overs.
The innings followed a pattern of strong recovery followed by another collapse. West Indies moved from 44/3 to 114/4, with Hope and Rutherford providing the stability needed to build a competitive total. However, India’s bowlers turned the match decisively in a dramatic six-over period, during which West Indies slipped from 114/4 to 125/8.
Dhir led the Indian bowling attack on debut, while Axar and Kuldeep provided crucial support with two wickets apiece. Mayank Yadav also contributed with the important wicket of Rutherford after being taken for runs early in the innings.
For West Indies, Hope’s 52 and Rutherford’s 56 formed the backbone of the innings. Their partnership helped the visitors recover from the early losses, but India’s disciplined bowling in the latter stages prevented West Indies from pushing the total significantly beyond 170.
India will now chase 172 for victory in the opening match of the five-game T20I series, with their bowlers having ensured that the visitors were unable to fully capitalise on their promising start.
Brief Scores
West Indies: 171 all out in 19.1 overs
Sherfane Rutherford 56, Shai Hope 52; Naman Dhir 3/31, Axar Patel 2/26.
