India does it in style

India vs West Indies, India-WI ODI series, West Indies, India,Virat Kohli,

India clinches the first match in the three-match ODI series against West Indies with a clinical performance. It was an all-round performance from India as they completed the proceedings having 6 wickets in hand and with 14.4 overs to spare. Virat Kohli was adjudged the man-of-the-match for his well-knit innings of 86 runs.

Earlier in the day West Indies batsmen had a torrid time in the middle as the Indian spinners took advantage of a slow and low pitch. They got all out before their full quota of 50 overs for a mere 211. No WI batsmen could capitalize on their good starts as they continued losing wickets at regular intervals. Darren Bravo was the only odd one out. He played a good solid innings of 59 before being castled by Mohammad Shami. Suresh Raina (34/3) and Ravindra Jadeja (37/3) made merry on a pitch that had uneven bounce with the odd balls getting a big turns as they ran through the Caribbean batting line-up. Ashwin also chipped in 2 wickets in the end.

As the Indians came on to bat India lost an early wicket in the form Shikhar Dhawan who edged one outside off-stump to the keeper when only on 5. From then it was Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli all the way till Sharma got out with India within a close range of the finishing line. While Sharma scored a patient 72, Kohli made strokeful 86 of just 84 balls. In the process Kohli became the fastest batsman in the world along with Vivian Richards to score 5000 runs in one-day internationals, both of them taking only 114 innings. However Raina’s woeful performance with the bat continued as he failed to score any run. In the Yuvraj Singh (16*) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (13*) saw India through.

Having taken a 1-0 lead India will look forward to seal the series in the next match which is scheduled to be held in Vishakhapatnam on November 24. WI needs to pull up their socks in order to avoid another defeat in the next match and claw back into the series.

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About Argha Ghosh

An ardent follower of sports and die-hard Manchester United fan, Argha's ultimate dream is to watch a Manchester derby from the Stretford End at the Old Trafford.