One of the biggest positives for India in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies was the rise of Ishan Kishan. The youngster, who was given the opportunity to open the innings, was able to grab it with both hands. The southpaw scored three consecutive fifties in the series and became the sixth Indian batter to achieve the landmark.
The left-hander scored an attacking knock of 77 runs off just 64 balls in the deciding ODI at the Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad on Tuesday. Kishan also added a fine opening alliance of 143 runs with Shubman Gill, the highest for India on the Caribbean shores.
But Kishan was disappointed as he could not go on to make a big score despite getting settled at the crease. Kishan scored a total of 184 runs in three matches at an impressive average of 61.33 and a blistering strike rate of 111.52. Ergo, he was awarded the Player of the Series award for his consistent performances.
Kishan was stumped when he was trying to take on Yannic Carriah and missed out on an opportunity to score his second ODI century.
Ishan Kishan said in the post-match presentation, “Not so happy with the finishing that I gave. I was supposed to score big after being set. That’s what my seniors told me, I should’ve stayed in and scored big. That’s what I’ll try next time, I’ll get set in the middle and score big. It’s important at this level to get set. It’s important to forget the last game and start from 0. I was thinking of taking it one ball at a time.”
Kishan also showered praise on Shubman Gill, who scored an excellent knock of 85 runs. The left-hander added that Gill’s timing gives him a lot of confidence at the top of the order.
Kishan added, “He’s a tremendous player, I’ve seen how he middles the ball. Seeing him hitting it out of the middle gives me a lot of confidence as well. Always important to win at this level, the learnings from these games are important.”
Meanwhile, India skittled out the West Indies for a paltry score of 151 runs, registering a massive 200-run win. Mukesh Kumar and Shardul Thakur were the chief destroyers as they scalped three and four wickets respectively.
