T20 WC: Holder-Powell blitz propels West Indies to 195/4 against India

Powell slammed 34 off just 19 balls, including three fours and two sixes, while Holder smashed 37 off 22 balls, laced with two fours and three sixes. A target of 196 stands between India and the semi-final spot.

In a virtual knock-out in Kolkata on Sunday, with the winner set to seal the last remaining semi-final spot, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to field first.

West Indies' new opening duo, Shai Hope and Roston Chase, got off to a solid start. Chase, making his T20I debut as an opener, showed promise with some elegant shots, including two boundaries off Arshdeep Singh and a scooped four against Jasprit Bumrah.

The pressure of the occasion seemed to get to Abhishek Sharma, who dropped a simple catch at cover with Chase on 15. It wasn't the briskest of starts for West Indies, who finished the powerplay at 45/0.

Varun Chakaravarthy broke the opening partnership, dismissing Shai Hope for 32 in the ninth over. But Jasprit Bumrah turned the game with a double strike, getting set batters Shimron Hetmyer (27) and Roston Chase (40) out, shifting momentum India's way.

Hetmyer was starting to flex his muscles, and had hit two sixes and a four, but ended up nicking a ball angling away from him to the wicketkeeper. Two balls later, Bumrah had Chase lob the ball to cover.

Hardik Pandya chipped in with ace seamer Bumrah, scalping Sherfane Rutherford's wicket for 14.

After the West Indies slipped from 102/2 to 119/4, Jason Holder and Rovman Powell took the attack to India. Powell also became the first West Indian to hit 150 sixes in T20Is with another big hit to the fence.

However, India's ace seamers Bumrah and Arshdeep pulled things off well in the final two overs by conceding only 20 runs.

Brief score: West Indies 195/4 in 20 overs (Roston Chase 40, Jason Holder 37*; Jasprit Bumrah 2/36). Vs India. (ANI)