It took them 55 months, but West Indies finally managed to win an ODI against India, snapping a nine-game losing streak with a comfortable six-wicket win in Barbados and pushing the ongoing series into a decider.
A thumping four from No.6 Keacy Carty over extra cover off Hardik Pandya sealed the win for the West Indies with 17.2 overs to spare.
The last time the West Indies won an ODI against India was in December 2019, when they defeated them in Chennai by eight wickets.
India were led by Pandya, having rested Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the match, in a bid to “keep them fresh for the third ODI”, as Pandya said ahead of the game. Put in to bat by the hosts, India raced to 90-0 by the 17th over, before Shubman Gill’s dismissal triggered a collapse: they lost the remaining nine wickets for 91 runs, folding for 181 all out in 40.5 overs.
Opener Ishan Kishan top-scored with 55, with Gill giving him company on 34. Barring Suryakumar Yadav’s 24, no other India batter crossed 20. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and seamer Romario Shepherd, extracting extra bounce, put the brakes on the Indian batters while prising out the middle order.
There were multiple stoppages due to rain, but the start-stop proceedings only troubled India further, as a stable partnership just couldn’t materialise.
Series leveled!💥#WIvIND #WIHome #RallywithWI pic.twitter.com/jo5KTYbRYo
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) July 29, 2023
The reply wasn’t without effort: the West Indies began strongly, getting to 53-0 in 8.3 overs – courtesy of Kyle Mayers’ rapid start. However, Shardul Thakur’s arrival brought along a stutter: after being hit for a six off his first ball – in true Mayers fashion with a whip off the hips – the India all-rounder responded with wickets off his second and fourth ball. Out went Mayers and Brandon King, and Alick Athanaze four overs later.
When Kuldeep Yadav cleaned up Shimron Hetmyer in the 17th over, it felt like India might be clawing back, with 90 still to get and six wickets to go. However, skipper Shai Hope’s trouble-free 63* off 80, along with Keacy Carty’s 48*, took them home without any more damage.
Barring Thakur, the rest of India’s pace attack could make little impact: Pandya, opening the bowling, went at 5.70 an over, so did Mukesh Kumar. Umran Malik had to be taken off the attack after conceding 27 in three overs, including a stylishly flicked six off a 91mph delivery by Hope.
After the game, Pandya expressed his disappointment at the result, but said that the team got to “learn many things”. “I have to bowl more overs to get ready for the World Cup,” Pandya said. “Being a turtle at the moment, not a rabbit. Hoping everything goes well during the World Cup.”
Hope expressed his satisfaction at the result, promising that the hosts “are going to come hard again”.
The third ODI, now a series decider, will be held on Tuesday, August 1.
