Centurion Lewis the scourge of India again as Windies clinch sole T20
Evin Lewis put India to the sword once more to make history as West Indies clinched Sunday's one-off Twenty20 encounter by nine wickets in Jamaica.
In August last year, the opener smashed 100 from 49 balls as Windies won a remarkable clash, just about defending 245 to win by a single run.
Their victory at Sabina Park was more one-sided, and that was down almost exclusively to Lewis, who clubbed an unbeaten 125 from 62 as the hosts made light work of overhauling India's 190-6 to win with nine balls remaining.
Lewis plundered six fours and 12 sixes en route to the highest T20 score by a West Indian, eclipsing the 117 belonging to Chris Gayle, who partnered him at the top of the order in his first international appearance since the World T20 final against England in April 2016.
Gayle scored only 18 runs on his return, but it mattered little as Lewis took centre stage in astonishing fashion, Mohammed Shami (0-46 from three overs) and Ravindra Jadeja (0-41 from 3.3) coming in for particular punishment.
India, who won the preceding ODI series 3-1, must have felt in a strong position after Dinesh Karthik (48), Virat Kohli (39) and Rishabh Pant (38) all made solid contributions in a sizeable total.
But they reckoned without Lewis, who took three successive fours of Shami's first over and had raced to 46 from 22 by the time Shami and Kohli's miscommunication resulted in a chance going to ground.
The left-hander was dropped again in the next over as Karthik - perhaps distracted by Kohli rushing back - spilled one at long-off and Lewis took full advantage.
Ravichandran Ashwin, Shami and Kuldeep Yadav all went the distance thereafter before Marlon Samuels (36 not out off 29) got in on the act by taking the beleaguered Shami for two fours and a six in the 14th.
Two maximums off Jadeja in the next over took Lewis to 99 and he celebrated bringing up three figures by throwing his bat and helmet to the ground and lapping up the applause of the fans, as well as the grinning Gayle and the rest of his team-mates on the balcony.
He clubbed back-to-back sixes in Jadeja's next over before usurping Gayle's previous best and the victory was brought up in fitting fashion as once again Jadeja disappeared over the ropes as the Sabina Park crowd rose to acclaim its new hero.