India take unassailable lead with win over Windies in third ODI

Photo: AP

Antigua: Combined efforts helped India beat West Indies by 93 runs in the third One Day International cricket match here.

Chasing 252 on a slow track on Friday, the West Indies never looked in the contention as the hosts were bowled out for 158 in the 38.1 overs.

Jason Mohammed (40) and Rovman Powell (30) were the highest contributors to the cause. Shai Hope (24) also played sensibly but failed to display a match winning knock.

For India, off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left arm leg spinner Kuldeep Yadav scalped three wickets each and medium pacer Hardik Pandya took two wickets.

Earlier, put in to bat, Ajinkya Rahane and Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit half-centuries as India posted 251/4.

Rahane posted a steady innings of 72 runs off 112 balls to help the visitors recover from a rocky start.

Dhoni remained unbeaten on a quick 78 runs off 79 balls. His trademark big hitting towards the end helped the Indians go past the 250-run mark.

The duo put on a partnership of 70 runs off 96 balls to help the visitors recover.

Pacer Miguel Cummins was the most successful among the West Indies bowlers with figures of 2/56 in his ten overs.

Asked to bat first, the Indians were off to a poor start with opener Shikhar Dhawan falling early.

The Delhi left-hander showed poor application when he tried to lift a Cummins delivery over third man, only to offer an easy catch to Roston Chase on the boundary.

India skipper Virat Kohli also fell to a poor shot when a Jason Holder delivery cramped him for space and Kyle Hope pulled off an athletic attempt, diving to his left at gully.

Rahane and Yuvraj Singh then got together to steady the ship with a slow but steady partnership of 66 runs off 101 deliveries.

Yuvraj, who was not exactly in the best form of his life, managed to score 39 runs off 55 deliveries before he misjudged the line of a delivery from Devendra Bishoo that spun into him after pitching.

Although the on-field umpire was indifferent to appeals of the bowler, the hosts decided to contest that decision and were rewarded when the television umpire sent the veteran southpaw back to the pavilion.

That saw Dhoni and Rahane get together for another long partnership before Cummins put and end to the latter's patient innings. Rahane hit four boundaries and a six during his 112-ball vigil in the middle.

Towards the closing stages, Dhoni loosened up his arms and showed flashes of his old self with some big shots to perk up the visitors' run rate.

The former India captain had four hits to the fence and two well hit sixes to his credit.

Kedar Jadhav gave him excellent support from the other end with a quick-fire unbeaten 40 runs off just 26 balls which included four boundaries and a six.