Paul makes history with second T20I 5-wicket haul

Keemo Paul made history with the ball as he became the first West Indies bowler to record multiple five-wicket hauls in men’s T20 Internationals, helping the regional side defeat India in the fourth T20I and level the five-match series.
Paul’s outstanding performance came after India made an explosive start in pursuit of West Indies’ imposing total, but the Guyanese fast bowler executed his plans effectively to derail the hosts’ chase and keep the visitors in contention for the series.

Reflecting on the victory, Paul credited the team’s positive approach with the bat, highlighting the contributions of captain Shai Hope and the partnerships that helped the West Indies post a competitive score.
“Every game is the same for us, whether we’re batting first or batting second. We try to be as positive as possible. On these wickets, you have to score big,” Paul said.
“Captain Hope has been fantastic for us, and the key partnership with Sherfane and Hetmyer gave us the runs that we needed. I think the team has been batting awesome.”
The right-arm pacer acknowledged that the West Indies had struggled to contain India during the powerplay but said the team’s preparation and discussions helped him identify the right approach when he came into the attack.
“They got off to quite a rollicking start. The powerplay has been tough for us. We haven’t been able to contain them,” he explained.
“Every team has its game plans. We sit and discuss, and we have some pretty long bowling team meetings, so I don’t think we take that for granted. I knew what I wanted to do, I knew what my field setting was, and I knew my plan. Obviously, I won’t share my plan, but I think I executed pretty well tonight.”
Paul also pointed to the conditions, explaining that variations in pace and accurate yorkers were important to the West Indies’ success, particularly as India looked to maintain their aggressive approach.
From his perspective as a batter, the assessment after the opening five overs was that the pitch offered good conditions for scoring, although there were occasional signs of grip. He said those same conditions proved useful when the West Indies returned to bowl.
“The slow balls helped us here. Normally, we weren’t getting any grip or stuff out of wickets or out of grounds, but it actually worked here,” Paul said.
“The game plan was just to stick to bowling into the wicket as long as possible and try to execute our yorkers when we know they’re going great guns.”
Paul’s milestone further underlined his value to the West Indies attack, with the Guyanese pacer demonstrating his ability to adapt under pressure and deliver when the team needed a breakthrough. His achievement also provides a significant boost for a side seeking to carry its momentum into the decisive final match of the series.