India win by 107 runs to level home ODI series against West Indies
India powered to an emphatic win over the West Indies in the second match of the December 2019 ODI series by 107 runs at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
India 387 for 5 beat West Indies 280 for 10 by 107 runs in 2nd ODI
Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami took the wicket of a non-plussed Keemo Paul,
who was well into the zone on 46 in 42 balls, but had no answer to a blistering Yorker
that went crashing into the base of his middle stump and it was all over. India, who lost
the first game, made no mistake this time out with only 43.3 overs gone and West Indies
all out for 280/10.
In truth this was a superb comeback from a chastened Indian side rattled by Shimron
Hetmyers scintillating knock of 139 along with Shai Hope’s 102 not out that saw the
Windies beat them in the first ODI game of the series of three by 8 wickets.
A highly entertaining match but a reassuring performance for Indian cricket fans
Not only did both openers Rohit Sharma (159 from 138 balls) and KL Rahul (102 from
104 balls ) fire on all cylinders to lay the platform for a massive total, Rahul also
achieved his ODI fifty in 46 balls including 3 fours and 3 sixes. Sharma, who was
dropped by Hetmyer on 70, reached his 28th ODI hundred in 107 balls with 11 fours
and 2 sixes, quite some achievement considering that fourty-four had to be worked in
singles.
However, the pyrotechnics displayed by Shreyas Iyer (53 off 32) and Rishabh Pant (39
off 16) later in the innings, not only entertained but restored considerable faith in the
team’s ability, following what can only be described as a thrashing in the first match.
Added to which, game-changing bowling spells from off spinner Kuldeep Yadav and
pacer Shami were definitely heartening key performance takeaways for the home
team.Kuldeep missed out on a fourth wicket that would’ve made him the quickest Indian
bowler to 100 ODI wickets, he conceded nine off his final over including a monster belt
into the upper stands by lively tailender Paul from the second delivery. He ended with 3
for 52, more or less sealing the game with an 8th-over hat-trick.
Nonetheless West Indies were putting up a fight, but it was India’s colossal total that
made the difference. Opener Evin Lewis produced a crisp 5-boundary 30 before he was
caught by Iyer off the bowling of Shardul Thakur.
Yet while Hetmyer and Roston Chase went cheaply for 4 apiece, the former an adroit
run out by Iyer, while his colleague with a clean bowled by Ravindra Jadeja, Hope was
still there and flowing. Then once joined by an in very good nick Nicholas Pooran,
momentum began to swing the Windies way.
After 28 overs,West Indies 181/3 ( Shai Hope (W) 72 , Nicholas Pooran 64) were
definitely back on track with Indian skipper Virat Kohli, desperate to end a partnership
within touching distance of 100 runs. He turned back to Shami, who had already bowled
a three-over spell. Uncharitably Pooran welcomed the new bowler with a beautifully
timed flick over the square-leg fence rewarding him with the simplest of sixes, followed
by an edge through an empty slip area for four. Shami, a trifle irritated by this
buccaneering treatment, replied with a yorker on his third ball. Fortunately, this time the
extra three runs were saved by a first class stop from Jadeja close to cow corner, as
well as avoiding further embarrassment. Although a good repost from Shami after
conceding a six and a four, just three, off the remaining four deliveries.
Finally, Shami struck to break up the partnership. Pooran’s damaging innings was
brought to an end, as he attempted to hook a good line short ball from the right-arm
quick , it clipped a top-edge sending the ball all the way to long leg. Taken as an
excellent catch by Kuldeep covering distance to his right, a swift kiss of the ball
completed the dismissal, Pooran out for 75 off 47 balls and drinks taken with West
Indies on 192 for 4.
Kieron Pollard and Jason Holder fell to the wicketkeeping wizardry of Pant caught
behind and stumped respectively, after only adding 13 to the score between them. A
confident Keemo Paul strode to the crease and soon started to see and strike the ball
well.
Chahar returned to the attack. Paul launched the ball towards deep point off the second
delivery but refused the single on offer. He then thick-edged the ball towards fine leg
and his fourth four. Two more fours, the last forcefully punched down the ground off the
bowling of Iyer and then Paul rocked back on his heels to hammer the ball over the
square leg fence for a glorious six! Windies 280 for 9 still chasing 380.
Meanwhile, earlier on Khary Pierre, making his ODI debut for West Indies had stood
shoulder to shoulder with Paul, and helped to produce a fifty partnership for the
second-to-last wicket off just 46 balls. Sadly he was caught by Kohli off Jadeja having
fought valiantly for an outstanding tail enders 21. Paul, as mentioned at the start, falling
to Shami in the 44th over for a doughty 46 off 42 balls.
India 387 for 5 beat West Indies 280 for 10 by 107 runs in 2nd ODI
What the players had to say about an exciting game in front of a packed house
Sound-bites – a collection of senior players’ comments to press
Virat Kohli – India’s captain:
“In the last two games, we have batted very well in the first half which is great to see.
Batting second was never an issue. It is always good to see team getting 40 runs extra
at the start of the game. At Wankhede also, Rohit and KL were outstanding and today
Rishabh Pant and Iyer played, it was outstanding. A lot of credit goes to the openers for
setting up the platform. The more we get confident in T20 cricket, the better it is. We
need to go out there expressing ourselves. It shows that we are not really relying on the
toss. It was made more of an issue. Shreyas has grabbed his chance and made it
count. Happy that he is taking up the responsibility. Both of them were convinced that
ball had turned so much. I was not very pleased with how we took the review. And we
should be better on the field, being the top side in the world. We should not be dropping
catches. It is all to do with not wanting to make mistakes.”
Rohit Sharma – Player of the Match for his blistering 159:
“It was a much-needed victory for us. We needed this badly, wanted to get our act
together. It was a very very crucial partnership we had upfront. KL batted brilliantly while
I took my time. It was a great batting performance backed up by a good bowling
performance. KL is such a talent. The shot-making he has all over the ground makes
him a solid player. He’s growing in confidence after a successful World Cup. Running
between the wickets was not up to the mark, but we’ll get used to it eventually. As long
as the set batsman is out there, you can get as many as possible, runs on the board.
Having played 200-plus ODIs, it’s my responsibility to put the team into a comfortable
position.”
Kuldeep Yadav:
“It has been a perfect day for me, taking second hat-trick in ODIs. It has been tough for
me working hard, for four to five months. Now I am bowling well. Bowling with right
variations. Really happy. This is a satisfying performance from me. We knew they were
going to come hard on us. But I was looking to turn the ball. There was grip on the pitch.
I was a little confused on the hat-trick in terms of which ball to bowl, then thought I
should bowl the wrong’un with a second slip. I am really happy with it.”
Kieron Pollard, West Indies captain:
It was down to executing. We were indisciplined in terms of our approach, and they
were able to get away with us. In order for them to win, they’ve got to score big. We’re
not able to execute the way we wanted to, and that something we need to work on.
40-50 runs less, and it would’ve been different. But credit to them. Rohit batted well, as
did Rahul. There’s some youngsters and some talented ones. Shai Hope continues to
be consistent in the way he goes about things. We have one more game, and we have
to give it our all. We have to hold our heads high, and fight and fight hard in the final
game. Virat hasn’t scored in two games, and he’s going to score hard in the final one.
“Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Shami script India’s win. Earlier it was the openers
who did the job. Basically the crux of India’s ODI core has come to work hard today and
get them back in the series. It is tough to say who has momentum though. You cannot
separate these two sides at the moment. It should be a cracking finale in Cuttack on
Sunday.”
Next stop, the two teams travel north-east along the same stretch of coast, for the third
and final one-dayer at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium on 22nd of December, which has
suddenly become a decider.
