India continues fightback with easy win over West Indies in Florida. Cricket series decider Sunday

India's Shubman Gill plays a shot against West Indies during... — India's Shubman Gill plays a shot against West Indies during the fourth T20 cricket match at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Fla, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. Credit: AP/Ramon Espinosa

By The Associated PressAugust 12, 2023

LAUDERHILL, Fla. — India continued its fightback against West Indies by tying their five-match Twenty20 cricket series at 2-2 after a nine-wicket win in Florida on Saturday.

India comfortably reached 179-1 in 17 overs of the fourth T20 international after West Indies chose to bat first and scored a respectable 178-8.

Yashasvi Jaiswal hit 84 not out in 51 balls and fellow opener Shubman Gill added 77 in 47 deliveries to make the series-leveling win almost inevitable for India after an opening stand of 165. They hit a total of 14 fours and eight sixes between them.

The teams meet again at Central Broward Stadium in the series decider on Sunday, with India having rallied from trailing 2-0.

West Indies opened the batting on a decent wicket, scoring 14 runs in the first over and 17 runs in the last over in the shortest and quickest format of international cricket. It wasn't always so rapid. West Indies batters Shimron Hetmyer and Romario Shepherd (9) hit six singles in the 14th over bowled by India medium-pacer Mukesh Kumar.

Hetmyer hit a 39-ball 61, including three fours and four sixes, and Shai Hope got 45 in 29.

Spinner Kuldeep Yadav (2-26) claimed two wickets for two runs in his first over, dismissing Nicholas Pooran (1) and West Indies captain Rovman Powell (1). Arshdeep Singh had 3-38.

India's Kuldeep Yadav, second from left, celebrates the dismissal of... — India's Kuldeep Yadav, second from left, celebrates the dismissal of West Indies' Nicholas Pooran during the fourth T20 cricket match at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Fla, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. Credit: AP/Ramon Espinosa

India was unchanged from the team that won the third T20 by seven wickets on Tuesday in Providence, Guyana. West Indies made three changes — Jason Holder, Odean Smith and Hope came in and Johnson Charles, Roston Chase and Alzarri Joseph went out.

West Indies won the second T20, also at Providence Stadium, by two wickets after the hosts also won the opener by four runs in Tarouba, Trinidad.

The T20 games are taking place at an interesting time for the sport's prospects in the U.S., where Major League Cricket launched last month. The T20 World Cup featuring the world’s best international teams is set be co-hosted by the U.S. and West Indies next year.