India Clinch Series Lead

A narrow win in a frustratingly rain affected match at Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia has given India a 2-1 lead in the four match ODI series in the West Indies.

Indian captain, MS Dhoni, anchored the innings in pursuit of the DL revised target of 159 runs in 22 overs. Man of the match, Dhoni, smashed Jerome Taylor for a six over midwicket when India required 10 runs off 5 balls to win the match.

The West Indies were put in to bat by India at the toss and they were off to a quick start before the first of five long rain delays. Captain Chris Gayle was out for 27 (14 balls) to the first ball after the first of these. Good partnerships between Morton and Sarwan (51 runs) and then Sarwan and Chanderpaul (37 runs) were both broken at crucial times for the home side.

The match was a lot closer than the six wicket margin of victory suggests.

Sarwan was run out on 62 (59 balls) soon afterwards, giving India a wicket that put them back in control as the hosts stuttered to 135 for four (20.5 overs). A quick 35 run partnership (4.2 overs) between the Bravo brothers put the Windies within reach of a competitive total before Ramdin chipped in with a handy 14 runs (6 balls) at the death.

Ashish Nehra (3 / 21 in 5 overs) was the pick of the bowlers as India restricted WI to 186 for seven (27 overs). Messrs Duckworth and Lewis added eight runs to the total.

Indian coach Gary Kirsten said after the match, “We were happy with how we bowled. Restricting a side first up is something that we have been working a lot on. We decided we wanted to utilise whatever there was in the wicket first up to try and get our bowlers into the game.”

“I think the rain interruptions certainly helped us batting second. You can dictate the game much better in that position” he added.

Chris Gayle said after the match, “The weather really messed with our game and also cost me my wicket. But that is no excuse, we fell a few runs short.”

India got off to a good start in their chase of the 195-run target. Despite a few half chances – a missed stumping, two missed run-outs, a tricky missed catch – the early wicket they needed to defend the 7.2 runs per over total just never came. Openers Kartik (47 off 43) and Ghambir (46 off 34) seemed to have the show wrapped up but the combination of wickets, a broken scoreboard and a rain delay saw the required run rate start to run away from them.

“It was mind-blowing that the batsmen couldn’t see the scoreboard but the umpires kept telling them the score and required equation at the end of each over,” said Kirsten.

Gayle said at the post-match conference, “When our time came to bowl we never got that early wicket that we wanted and Kartik and Gambhir took the game away from us but then we actually pulled it back.”

After needing under a run a ball from five overs, some tight death bowling to a conservative Dhoni and his falling partners meant that India suddenly required seven, eight, nine and then over ten runs an over.

“The crucial run-out of Kartik and other key wickets like Yuvraj gave us a chance, but the one man who is in form, MS Dhoni came and took his team home” he added.

Dwayne Bravo conceded only five runs off the penultimate over, leaving India to get 11 runs off the last for victory with Yusuf Pathan on strike and having not yet faced a ball. A leg bye gave Dhoni the strike and the chance to win back the faith of those that had recently doubted him. He smashed the delivery from Taylor over deep midwicket for the maximum, and the visitors strolled home from there.

“We always felt we were one big over from winning the match and the fact that we left it to the last one was neither here nor there” said Kirsten.

Gayle said, “It was actually a fifty-fifty call in the end – the game really came down to the wire”

“We have a big important game coming up now on Sunday. India has a chance to win the series so have to pick ourselves up and make sure that we square it.”