West Indies’ seamers shot the pitch in the early exchanges, before their spinners got the ball to hold up, as they limited India to 237 for 9 in what was seen as a must-win game for them in Ahmedabad. Kemar Roach, who sprayed the ball around in the first ODI, tightened up in the second, using the crease and seam movement on offer to his own advantage.
He also gleaned substantial extra bounce, having Rohit Sharma nicking off for 5 in his second over. West Indies’ Odean Smith, who got a game in the niggle-enforced absence of captain Kieron Pollard, outshone by dismissing both Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli in the same over.
The returning KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav, who made his second ODI half-century, then struck up a 91-run fourth-wicket partnership, but India failed to find the finishing kick. Left-arm finger spinners of West Indies’ Akeal Hosein and Fabian Allen bowled five overs between them in the last ten while giving away only 22 runs for the wicket of Washington Sundar.
West Indies In A Good Battle
With Rahul returning to the team after missing the series opener because of a family commitment, India rejigged their batting line-up. While Rahul slotted in at No. 4, Pant was bumped up to open with Rohit. After surviving potent opening spells from Roach and Alzarri Joseph, Pant tried to swing his way out of trouble against Smith. After carving a short ball for four, he took on another short ball, Jason Holder snagged it near square leg.
Smith – and Joseph of West Indies had similarly tested Kohli with prancing deliveries, but the allrounder ultimately bested him with a length ball. Kohli went for a drive, lost his shape and nicked off for 18 off 30 balls. India were 43 for 3 in 12 overs at that point.
It could’ve been 64 for 4 had wicketkeeper Shai Hope not dropped a regulation catch to reprieve Rahul, when he was on 4, in the 18th over. Rahul broke free when Hosein bowled a half-tracker first ball, which was clattered over midwicket for six. Rahul then charged at Hosein, pumping him over his head for six.
From being on 7 off 23 balls, he moved to 49 off 47 balls before running himself out in the 30th over. As for Suryakumar, he kept milking the spinners and passed fifty. However, when he looked to hit a higher gear, he misjudged the length of an Allen dart and top-edged a sweep to short fine leg for 64 off 83 balls. Allen combined with Hosein to tighten the screws on India, despite a late cameo from Deepak Hooda (29 off 25 balls).
West Indies’ Joseph, who was outstanding with the new ball, was rewarded with the wickets of Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj at the fag end of the innings. Fittingly, he closed out the first innings with a lifter that sailed over Yuzvendra Chahal’s shoulder. In all, India could manage only 54 in the last ten overs.
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