India v West Indies T20: KL Rahul and fast bowlers set up crushing series win in Mumbai

Hosts ease to 67-run win to take series 2-1 at the Wankhede Stadium

India's captain Virat Kohli, right, celebrates the dismissal of West Indies Shimron Hetmyer with Kuldeep Yadav during the third Twenty20 in Mumbai on Wednesday. AP

India's captain Virat Kohli celebrates the dismissal of West Indies' Nicholas Pooran in Mumbai on Wednesday. AP

Indian players celebrate the dismissal of West Indies' Lendl Simmons during the third Twenty20 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. AP

India's Kuldeep Yadav, center, celebrates the dismissal of West Indies Jason Holder during the third Twenty20 in Mumbai on Wednesday. AP

West Indies captain Kieron Pollard top-scored with 68 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. AFP

KL Rahul made 91 in the deciding T20 against the West Indies in Mumbai on Wednesday. AFP

Rohit Sharma hit 71 and added 135 for the opening wicket at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. AFP

Virat Kohli, right, hit seven sixes during his knock of 70 against the West Indies in Mumbai on Wednesday. AP

KL Rahul raises his bat after reaching 50 in the third Twenty20 against the West Indies. AP

India posted 240-3 in the third T20 against the West Indies in Mumbai on Wednesday. AP

Rohit Sharma falls as he runs between the wickets in Mumbai. AP

West Indies' Kesrick Williams celebrates after taking the wicket of Rohit Sharma at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. AFP

KL Rahul missed out on a century by nine runs while fellow opener Rohit Sharma blasted a quickfire 71 as India posted a mammoth 240-3 in the deciding Mumbai T20 which set up a 67-run win over the West Indies on Wednesday.

With the three-match series tied 1-1, India needed to put in a much better effort with the bat after being ‘out-hit’ by the Windies batsmen who registered 10 more sixes across the two T20s.

The hosts went after the Windies attack, making the most of a flat pitch and wet outfield because of heavy dew as the openers smashed 135 in just 11.4 overs. Rohit and Rahul matched each other shot for shot, with the former hitting six fours and five sixes during his 34-ball 71 and the latter cracking nine fours and four maximums during his 91 off 56 balls.

The Wankhede pitch is known for producing high-scoring limited overs matches and Wednesday was no different. Even when India suffered a minor hiccup with the dismissals of Rohit and Rishabh Pant (0) within four balls, the scoring rate didn’t suffer.

India captain Virat Kohli went into overdrive, hitting an incredible seven sixes and four fours in his unbeaten innings of 70 off just 29 balls. That took India’s total from around 200-odd to 240.

That put extreme pressure on the Windies top order and they found the going tough against the new ball that swung both ways. Openers Lendl Simmons and Brandon King found leading edges to deep point while a first-ball duck for Nicholas Pooran derailed the Windies at 17-3.

Captain Kieron Pollard fought valiantly during his innings of 68 from 39 balls but with only Shimron Hetmyer (41) making a substantial contribution, the Windies fell well short of the target. They were eventually restricted to 173-8.

For the hosts, seamers Deepak Chahar (2-20) and Mohammed Shami (2-25) were the pick of the bowlers, going for less than seven runs an over.