India Win Tour Opener Despite Early Wobble

Port of Spain: Harbhajan Singh struck twice in the sixteenth over to halt the Darren Bravo-Marlon Samuels partnership for the third wicket against India in their one-off Twenty20 International at Queen's Park Oval.

Harbhajan clean bowled Bravo (41) soon after dismissing Samuels (27) two balls earlier as West Indies were reduced to 92/4 in 15.5 overs.

Bravo his five boundaries in his run-a-ball knock and added 66-run stand for the third wicket with Samuels to resurrect West Indies run chase after losing two early wickets. Samuels hit three fours in his patient 29-ball innings.

Chasing 160-run target, West Indies lost openers Andre Fletcher (11) and Lendl Simmons (9) in quick succession.

Pacer Munaf Patel clean bowled Fletcher in the fifth over after R Ashwin gave the visitors first breakthrough in the previous over. Ashwin dismissed Simmons to break the confidant 22-run opening stand for the hosts.

Sent in to bat, Yusuf Pathan (15 not out) and Harbhajan Singh’s (15 not out) late charge helped India post 159/6 against West Indies.

Yusuf smacked two huge sixes in his 6-ball cameo and Harbhajan hit a six and a four in his 7-ball knock.

S Badrinath (43) top-scored for the visitors as he smashed five boundaries in his 37-ball valuable knock and added 71-run with Rohit Sharma (26) to revive India innings after losing four wickets cheaply.

Sharma hit two sixes in his 23-ball innings and gave Badrinath a useful support. Devendra Bishoo dismissed Badrinath in the nineteenth over.

Darren Sammy (4-16) led West Indies from the front as India were reduced to 134/6 in 18.1 overs before Yusuf-Harbhajan cameo.

Sammy scalped his counterpart Suresh Raina (2) in his last over and finished off with an impressive figure of 4-16 in four overs as India struggled in their tour opener.

Sammy dismissed Parthiv Patel (26) and Virat Kohli (14) in consecutive deliveries to reduce India to 48/3 in seven overs.

Patel slammed a six and two fours in his quick 20-ball knock whereas Kohli hit two boundaries in his 12-ball innings.

Sammy gave West Indies an early breakthrough when he dismissed Shikhar Dhawan (5) in the third over.

Earlier, West Indies captain Sammy won the toss and decided to field against India on Saturday.

Brief scores
India 159 for 6 (Badri 43, Sammy 4-16)
West Indies 143 for 5 (Bravo 41, Harbhajan 2-25)
Results India won by 16 runs

Scores	Upcoming	Results
Australia vs India - 1st Test 1st Test - West Indies v Bangladesh - November 22-26, 14:00 GMT 1st ODI - Zimbabwe v Pakistan - November 24, 07:30 GMT 3rd ODI - Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Kandy No results 3rd T20I - Australia v Pakistan at Hobart Australia won by 7 wickets (with 52 balls remaining)

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