The final ODI of the five-match Digicel series got underway under the shadow of the Chris Gayle versus the West Indies Cricket Board conflict which turned from bad to worse after a stormy Wednesday night meeting between the two parties.
This reflected in the arena; the atmosphere was sombre.
On a surface with some juice, India was 73 for two after 15 overs here on Thursday. Much of the cricket was compelling.
Openers Parthiv Patel and Shikhar Dhwan were fired out early by the West Indian paceman. Then Virat Kohli and Manoj Tiwary, rightfully batting down the order, consolidated.
Bounce and carry
The surface at the Sabina Park had pace, bounce and carry. Batting demanded guts and application.
Kemar Roach worked up pace, extracted lift. Andre Russell too got the ball to climb.
Parthiv attempted the pull Rusell but found the ball coming on to the bat too quickly. The miscued stroke was held brilliantly by Anthony Martin.Dhawan, back in the squad, did not appear comfortable. He attempted to cut Roach and was picked up at first slip.
Kohli is a positive batsman who relishes a combat. Without being overly aggressive, he is a busy batsman. Kohli's straight-drive off Roach was a top-shot. Then, he cover-drove Sammy.
Sammy won the toss and opted to field. Adrian Barath replaced Danza Hyatt in the West Indies team. S. Badrinath and Praveen Kumar made way for Dhawan and Vinay Kumar in the Indian eleven.
Kohli who looked good for a three—figure mark was unfortunately run—out at 94 (104 balls, 10x4) but his fourth wicket partnership of 110 runs with Rohit (57, 72 balls, 2x4, 1x6) laid the foundation for the visitors to put up a stiff total.
But another failure from skipper Suresh Raina (0) and Yusuf Pathan’s (30, 29 balls, 2x4, 1x6) failure to make it count after getting set put paid to India’s hopes of posting a huge total.
From 189 for three in 35.5 overs, Indian batsmen blew away a golden opportunity to post a 300 plus total on a wicket where the ball was coming onto the bat.
If Virat was unlucky as he was beaten by fantastic throw from the deep by Ramnaresh Sarwan going for a second run, Rohit was guilty of throwing it away after doing all the hard work.
Skipper Raina would like to forget this series in a hurry as he compiled a poor 74 runs in five matches. Yusuf on his part was looking good to fire all cylinders but failed to handle the extra bounce.
Kohli’s innings was blemish free and it looks like he would walk into the first XI of the Test team after such a quality performance.
The Delhi youngster batted with lot of responsibility as he first steadied the ship with a 58—run third wicket partnership with Manoj Tiwary (22, 22 balls, 1x4, 1x6) and then a century stand with Rohit Sharma.
Skipper Raina will have to take bulk of the blame as India failed to consume 15 deliveries in the end which might mean that they finished atleast 25 runs short of what they were supposed to score.
Put into bat after Darren Sammy won the toss, India lost openers Parthiv Patel (6) and Shikhar Dhawan (11) by the seventh over as both were done in by the extra bounce in the strip.
Parthiv wasn’t in position to pull a Russell bouncer and was holed out at midwicket while Dhawan failed to negotiate a rising delivery and was cramped for room going for a cut shot off Kemar Roach. He was snapped up in the first slip.
Kohli started clipping Russell delightfully to midwicket fence off the eighth ball he received.
The next boundary was rather a streaky edge past slip off Sammy but he made it up with a delightful cover drive in the West Indian skipper’s fourth over.
Manoj for the first time looked comfortable in his short international career. A six off Sammy which hit the wooden roof of the club’s bar was a breathtaking shot. Just when he looked like geting into the groove, he edged one from Kieron Pollard straight to Carlton Baugh.
India now had the best batting passage of the innings as two best young batsmen put their wares out on display.
Both Kohli and Rohit looked to hit down the ground and picked up runs with ease as the 100 runs came up in the 22nd over.
Kohli was careful in his shot selection and hit fours off leg—spinner Anthony Martin and Russell in successive overs.
The former India colts skipper bisected a Martin delivery through the backward point region and then spanked Russell through covers.
He reached his half century in the 23rd over with a single off Martin having faced only 63 deliveries. He celebrated it with a cheeky steer for four off Lendl Simmons.
Rohit having settled into a nice groove at the other end, slammed returning Roach over midwicket for an effortless six in the 36th over.
However, Kohli dismissal led to a dramatic collapse.
India were to suffer another blow almost immediately when skipper Raina played an ill—advised lofted shot to be out in the deep off Pollard.
Rohit and Pathan were well and truly into a repair act when Sharma was cleaned up by Martin.
Russell struck twin blows in one over when he had Pathan (30) caught behind and Amit Mishra (0) bowled in his eighth over, the 46th of the innings.
Scorecard
India: S Dhawan c Sarwan b Roach 11, P Patel c Martin b Russell 6, V Kohli run out (Sarwan ) 94, M Tiwary c Baugh b Pollard 22, R Sharma b Martin 57, S Raina c Barath b Pollard 0, Y Pathan c Baugh b Russell 30, R Ashwin not out 8, A Mishra b Russell 0, V Kumar c Baugh b Roach 2, I Sharma b Russell 0
Extras (lb—1, w—19, nb—1) 21
Total (All out, 47.3 overs ) 251
Fall of wickets: 1—15, 2—21, 3—79, 4—189, 5—190, 6—225, 7—245, 8—246, 9—249
Bowling: Roach 10—0—52—2, Sammy 6—0—48—0, Russell 8.3—0—35—4, Pollard 8—0—39—2, Martin 10—1—39—1, Simmons 5—0—37—0.
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