India shut out West Indies by 17 runs in the third outing at Eden Gardens here on Sunday to complete a 3-0 sweep in the T20Is.
West Indies finished a dismal tour without a win, having been blanked in the preceding ODI leg too.
Chasing 185, West Indies stayed in contention through good knocks from Nicholas Pooran (61, 47b, 8x4, 1x6), Rovman Powell (25, 14b, 2x4, 2x6) and Romario Shepherd (29, 21b, 1x4, 3x6).
India, however, managed to get the breakthroughs at the right time to put the skids on the visitor.
It was seamer Harshal Patel who dismissed the dangerous Powell, who top-edged a pull. Shardul Thakur, stationed at short fine-leg, took a good catch running back.
Snaring Pooran
Shardul then shifted the momentum India's way when he induced a false shot from Pooran in the 18th over. Wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan did well to run all the way to point to grab a diving catch.
Shepherd, the last hope for West Indies, was sent back by Harshal soon after. Harshal was the best bowler on view, with figures of three for 22. Shardul, playing his first game of the T20I leg, finished with two scalps.
Fast bowler Deepak Chahar dismissed the openers, but left the field after pulling up with an injury in his run-up. Venkatesh Iyer filled in for Chahar as the sixth bowler, and did well to remove Kieron Pollard and Jason Holder.
After being put in to bat, India finished on a high, thanks to an electric stand between Suryakumar Yadav (65 n.o., 31b, 1x4, 7x6) and Venkatesh (35 n.o., 19b, 4x4, 2x6). The duo flayed the bowlers to all parts of the ground, putting on 91 runs for the fifth wicket in just 37 balls. Suryakumar was particularly brutal, dealing primarily in sixes.
The Mumbai batter delighted with the slog sweep to pacers, shuffling across and getting on one knee. The 31-year-old recorded his highest T20I score in the course of his whirlwind knock. He was named Player-of-the-Match and Series.
Venkatesh had yet another impressive outing as a finisher. Inspired by his partner, Venkatesh pulled off a slog-sweep maximum of his own, off Holder.
Venkatesh and Suryakumar gave India an almighty push in the death, smashing 69 runs in the last four overs.
The West Indies fast bowlers undid the good work done by spinners Roston Chase, Hayden Walsh and Fabian Allen, who kept a tight check on the run flow. The speedsters, however, regularly served overpitched dollies on a platter.
India, in a mood to experiment in this dead rubber, made four changes to the XI. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer, the batters drafted in, did not cash in.
Fast bowler Avesh Khan had a forgettable T20I debut, going for 42 runs and failing to take a wicket.
Skipper and fan favourite Rohit Sharma walked in at No. 4, but he only managed a scratchy 15-ball seven. Left-arm pacer Dominic Drakes took out Rohit with a slower ball which clipped the bails.
