India news: T20 series in the bag thanks to Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant both made half-centuries as India beat West Indies by eight runs in the second Twenty20 international on Friday.

As West Indies chased 187 for victory in Kolkata, they finished on 178 for three despite a threatening century stand between Nicholas Pooran (62) and Rovman Powell (unbeaten 68 off 36 balls).

India take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series as a result.

Windies keeper Pooran smashed five fours and three sixes in his 41-ball knock before falling to pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar in a four-run 19th over.

Powell attempted a final onslaught with two sixes off Harshal Patel but the bowler held his nerve defending 25 runs in the last over.

Roston Chase had taken three wickets after West Indies elected to bowl in skipper Kieron Pollard’s 100th T20I, but Pant’s unbeaten 52 steered India to an imposing 186 for five.

India’s batting wobbled after Kohli departed for 52 but Pant, who matched Khhli’s score off 28 balls, and Venkatesh Iyer put on 76 runs in an unbroken fifth wicket stand.

Left-arm quick Sheldon Cottrell got Ishan Kishan caught behind for two after the left-handed opener’s struggle at the crease in a 10-ball stay.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and Kohli rebuilt the innings in their partnership of 49 with the former captain coming in all guns blazing with a string of boundaries.

Chase sent back Rohit for 19 and then caught and bowled Suryakumar Yadav for eight.

Kohli, who had scores of eight, 18 and nought in India’s 3-0 ODI sweep of West Indies and then 17 in the opening T20 win, overcame a brief lull to smash his 30th T20I fifty.

He raised his 50 with a six off Chase, who finished with figures of 3-25, but was bowled two balls later after his 41-ball knock.

The left-handed batting pair of Pant and Iyer, who made 33 off 18 balls before being bowled by Romario Shepherd, then hit back to take the attack to the opposition.

The West Indies started tentatively in the run chase but still lost Kyle Mayers for nine, caught and bowled off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

Pooran took on the bowlers with a few boundaries, but soon, Brandon King fell to Ravi Bishnoi’s leg spin. The left-hander had enjoyed reprieve on 21 when Bishnoi dropped him at deep mid-wicket and went on to raise his second successive fifty with a six, put on 100 with Powell.

The final match is on Sunday at the same venue.