PORT OF SPAIN: India simply controlled to carry off the problem of an impressed West Indies crew with the under-strength guests coming away with a three-run victory within the first One-Day Global of a three-match sequence at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Friday. Stand-in captain Shikhar Dhawan’s 97 used to be the basis of his aspect’s overall of 308 for seven which looked to be greater than sufficient on the midway level for the reason that the hosts had been simply coming off a 3-0 drubbing by the hands of Bangladesh in Guyana per week previous.
On the other hand, opener Kyle Mayers set the tone for the Caribbean aspect’s chase with a top-score of 75 and with the remainder of the batting order making vital contributions the West Indies reached the overall over wanting 15 runs for victory. Romario Shepherd, enjoying handiest as a result of former captain Jason Holder used to be dominated out with Covid 19 within the morning, and Akeal Hosein controlled to scramble 11 towards the bowling of seamer Mohammed Siraj as they completed agonisingly brief at 305 for 6.
Dhawan’s innings off 99 balls with 3 sixes and ten fours earned him the “Guy of the Fit” award even supposing the left-handed opener used to be no longer too happy along with his crew’s effort within the box. “We had a couple of nerves clearly against the top of the tournament and possibly we didn’t keep on with our plans in addition to we must have as a result of if we had completed so, particularly with a couple of runs given away at the leg-side, the sport would had been over as a competition previous,” Dhawan mentioned after the tournament.
Installed on a sweltering morning, he noticed opening spouse Shubman Gill (64) play lots of the pictures early on in a stand of 119 off 18 overs. Shreyas Iyer stroked his solution to 54 sooner than changing into the second one wicket for Gudakesh Motie. Motie had previous brushed aside Dhawan by means of a very good diving catch by way of Shamarh Brooks at backward-point as India misplaced momentum when ominously poised at 213 for one within the thirty fourth over.
Motie and fellow left-arm spinner Hosein had been essentially the most economical of the West Indies bowlers even supposing pacer Alzarri Joseph strengthened the house aspect’s rearguard within the box with two vital wickets. “It’s a bittersweet feeling,” used to be West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran’s abstract of the tournament. “We’ve been speaking about batting 50 overs and we did it this time however got here up brief. “Nonetheless, we in reality competed smartly towards one of the crucial perfect groups on this planet and we want to stay on making improvements to towards this kind of opposition if we wish to get our ODI cricket again on the right track.” – AFP