Thrilling win for Windies

Lauderhill: Promising batsman Lokesh Rahul's 110 not out went in vain as West Indies managed to defeat India by one run in the nail-biting first T20 International at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground here on Saturday.

With India needing two runs from the final ball, West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo kept his nerves to dismiss Mahendra Singh Dhoni (43) with a slower one to take the Caribbean side home.

Chasing a mammoth 246, Rahul struck the second fastest century in T20 Internationals to guide India to an almost improbable win before the last ball twist changed the fortunes of the men in blue. With the century, the Karnataka batsman has now become the third Indian to score a century in all three formats of the game.

The 24-year-old Rahul, who was preferred over regular opener Shikhar Dhawan for the match, made the most of the opportunity, bringing up 89 runs for the third wicket with Rohit Sharma (62) before almost guiding the team to victory with a 107-run stand with Dhoni.

Earlier, riding on opener Evin Lewis' century, West Indies posted 245 for 6 after being sent in to bat, in what is the US's only ICC) recognised cricket stadium. The carnage started from the word go as the opening duo of Johnson Charles (79) and Lewis clobbered pacer Mohammed Shami for a six and two fours in the opening over.

Playing his second ever T20I, Lewis began his attack, getting to his 50 off 25 balls with four boundaries and three sixes. Brief scores: West Indies 245 for 6 (Evin Lewis 100, RA Jadeja 2/39) beat India 244 for 4 (Lokesh Rahul 110, Rohit Sharma 62, MS Dhoni 43, Dwayne Bravo 2/37)