LUCKNOW, India — Shreyas Iyer led the way with 102 not out off 43 balls as India beat West Indies by eight wickets Tuesday in the first of the five Twenty20 internationals.
The captain reached his maiden T20 hundred after 42 balls - tied for the sixth-fastest century by an India player in the format - as the hosts finished with 172-2 in 14.4 overs, chasing West Indies’ 171 all out (19.1 overs).
Iyer hit six sixes and 10 fours. Ishan Kishan scored 37 not out, as the duo put on 137 off 67 balls for the third wicket.
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Shai Hope (52) and Sherfane Rutherford (56) hit half-centuries for the visitors to help recover from 135-8, but it was an under-par score against the reigning T20 world champions.
The second match is on Friday in Ranchi.
Earlier, India won the toss and opted to bowl. Batting all-rounder Naman Dhir made his T20 debut for the hosts.
Chasing 172, India lost its in-form batters in the powerplay. Abhishek Sharma scored 21 off 10 balls, before holing out off Roston Chase. Sanju Samson was out for 11.
India made 62-2 in the powerplay, as Kishan and Iyer helped the innings recover to 102-2 at the halfway mark.
Iyer reached 50 off 28 balls with eight fours and then accelerated further scoring his next 50 off only 14 balls including six sixes.
Iyer was 72 not out off 36 balls at the start of 14th over - he hit two sixes off Matthew Forde and then was dropped at long on on the third delivery. He then hit two more sixes to reach his maiden hundred in style.
This was after West Indies made a poor start. Arshdeep Singh bowled Kamil Pooran for 12 and Shimron Hetmyer was run out for 5 with Iyer involved in the dismissal.
Axar Patel bowled Rovman Powell for a three-ball duck and West Indies was down to 44-3 in the powerplay.
Hope and Rutherford added 63 off 35 balls to rescue the innings. But Dhir got his maiden T20 wicket in the 12th over as Hope was out caught at midwicket. Dhir finished with 3-31 in four overs on T20 debut.
West Indies continued to lose wickets in the lower-middle order, and only Rutherford’s three sixes helped them past the 170 mark.
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