JOIN USThe Indian cricket team’s nine-match winning streak came to an end after the West Indies held their nerve to snatch a thrilling one-wicket victory over Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men in their ODI tri-series preliminary match here.
Chasing a modest target of 230, West Indies made heavy weather of the chase despite a sparkling 97 by opener Johnson Charles but finally managed to register their second win in the tournament with 14 balls to spare.
With nine points from two matches, West Indies are in with a bright chance of making it to the finals. Kemar Roach (14 not out) got himself a perfect birthday present as he guided West Indies by keeping cool lower down the order. He flicked Umesh Yadav (3/43) towards square leg to bring up the victory in a match where fortune swung to and fro.
The foundation of the victory was laid by opener Charles, who faced 100 balls hitting eight boundaries and four huge sixes. He added 116 runs for the fourth wicket with Darren Bravo (55) and the victory didn’t look out of sight.
The Indian bowlers made a fantastic comeback as they got some quick breakthroughs before Roach finally sealed it for the hosts. At the start of the chase, West Indies were in dire straits as they lost both Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels within the first five overs and were precariously placed at 26 for three.
Opener Charles, however, batted positively. The first six scoring strokes were boundaries as he punished both Yadav and Bhuvneshwar. With minimum backlift and least footwork, Charles successfully hit through the line whenever it was slotted in his zone. He found an able ally in Bravo as the duo resurrected the innings.
With the pitch easing out a bit compared to first half, the West Indian pair didn’t have any problems in negotiating the Indian bowlers.
Earlier, Indian batsmen battled hard on a difficult track as they managed 229 for seven in stipulated 50 overs.
Rohit Sharma (60) scored a composed half-century while Suresh Raina contributed an useful 44 after the ‘Men In Blue’ were put into bat.
Skipper Dhoni battled cramps that hampered his running between the wickets badly yet he carried on manfully to chip in with 27 off 34 balls before he was cleaned up by a Tino Best inswinger.