Rovman sees positives despite series-clinching defeat against India

ROVMAN POWELL remains optimistic in the fortunes of the West Indies T20 squad, despite their eight-run defeat to hosts India, in the second of a three-match T20 series at Kolkata, India on Friday.

But the Jamaican batsman bemoaned the team's inability to produce a powerful start with the bat against the hosts.

Powell scored an unbeaten 68 and built a 100-run partnership with vice captain Nicholas Pooran, in his team’s unsuccessful pursuit of a victory target of 187.

Batting first, India made 186/5 led by an unbeaten 52 from wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and good knocks from Virat Kohli (52) and Venkatesh Iyer (33). Off-spinner Roston Chase took three wickets for 25 runs for the West Indies.

In reply, the West Indies started a bit slowly, striking just four fours in the powerplay, but were resuscitated by Powell and Pooran, who steered the visitors to 159/3 before the latter perished with just nine balls to go.

West Indies however, fell just short of the target, and finished on 178/3, falling eight runs short of victory and handing India an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

“I think we got stuck early up in the powerplay. We didn’t maximise the powerplay as we would have liked. But in the middle overs, we also didn’t maximise it with the spinners as we’d like. It’s the nature of the game, all we have to do as players now is to learn from that,” he said.

Powell’s unbeaten 68 in 36 balls featured five sixes and four fours, two of the sixes coming in the final over as he fought tooth and nail to eke out a win. He was pleased with his performance but preferred the win.

“I think it was a pretty decent innings. I did the hard yards in the early part and tried to get myself in, tried to carry it home but it won’t go down as a special innings because we didn’t win. It would have been important for us to be going in 1-1 on Sunday (third T20),” he added.

Powell was pleased to partner with Pooran to stage a maroon fight back. He said however, the 19 runs given away as extras also played an integral role in them falling short of the target on Friday.

“We have to run well between the wickets and get more partnerships," said Powell. "We still, as a team, have to work on all three areas (batting, bowling and fielding). We didn’t field particularly well (on Friday).

“That is something, maybe we gave away about 10 to 15 runs in the field, and I think that was also the downfall of us today. But all three areas need to keep working. We’re building slowly to a World Cup so it’s important guys keep improving series to series,” he closed.

West Indies conclude their tour of India on Sunday, with the final T20I in Kolkota. Prior to the T20I series, West Indies were swept 3-0 by India in a three-match One-Day International series held from February 6 to 11.