Recent Match Report - India vs West Indies 4th T20I 2022

India maintained their unbeaten series record against West Indies since 2016 by taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-T20I series. Their attacking style of batting helped them post 191 even though they tapered off in the second half of their innings, and their bowlers used cutters well to stifle West Indies' batting.

This was India's highest T20I total when none of their batters have scored a fifty. Only one of their seven batters failed to get to double figures, which was just as well because they had Axar Patel batting at No. 7, and he gave India the finishing kick with an unbeaten 20 off eight balls after a middle-overs slowdown.

India's over-stated problems against left-arm seam took a back seat as Obed McCoy returned the most expensive analysis - 2 for 66, including six sixes off his bowling - for a West Indies bowler two matches after he returned the best figures by a West Indies bowler. Avesh Khan experienced a turnaround in the opposite direction with two wickets in the powerplay for just nine runs in two overs, following which West Indies never really recovered even though Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell threatened briefly.

Rohit, Suryakumar hit the ground running
Either the India openers quickly surmised that they needed to score their runs while the ball was new or they felt this pitch needed a huge score, because they didn't hold back at all. Rohit Sharma was the first aggressor, hitting a couple of boundaries in the first two overs, before he and Suryakumar Yadav welcomed McCoy mercilessly. Rohit eased him for sixes over long-on and long-off, and Suryakumar displayed great flair, whipping and uppercutting him for a six and a four. India's fifty came up in the fifth over.

Hosein, Joseph pull things back
Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph bowled the two tough final overs of the powerplay, bringing West Indies back into the contest. Hosein pulled back his length after being slogged for a six to bowl Rohit, and Joseph trapped Suryakumar lbw as he tried to open up the leg side once too often.

Once the field spread, West Indies began to bowl cutters into the pitch and the boundaries dried up. Given the conditions, Rishabh Pant, batting at No. 4, played a superb hand of 44 off 31 in the most difficult phase of the innings. At the other end, Deepak Hooda managed 21 off 19 balls, while Sanju Samson scored 30 off 23. And once West Indies got Dinesh Karthik for just 6, they would have hoped to restrict India considerably.

Axar gives India the big finish
A six over long-off, another over long-on - both off McCoy in the 19th over - and then a four off the last ball of the innings, and Axar, playing his first match of the series, brought India 27 runs in the final two overs after the previous three had produced just 18.

Avesh owns the powerplay
Going for over 14 an over in the series, and playing possibly only because Harshal Patel is injured, it is fair to assume Avesh was under the scanner in this match. He started after Bhuvneshwar Kumar had been taken for 14 in the first over, and used the legcutter well to get rid of Brandon King with a return catch, and the promoted Devon Thomas off a skier to mid-off. West Indies now needed a special innings from someone in the middle order.

The Pooran and Powell threat
Rohit made the surprising call of calling the left-arm spinner Axar on to bowl the fifth over, a difficult over to bowl, with two left-hand batters in the middle. Pooran was ruthless, hitting three sixes and a four, but the over ended in anti-climax with a run-out as Kyle Mayers sent him back after setting off for a quick single.

This was not the end of Axar's luck for the day. In his third over - the ninth of the innings - Powell took a shine to him, hitting him for two sixes down the ground, but he chipped the easiest of the deliveries, a full-toss, straight down the throat of long-on. West Indies were now 82 for 5 in nine overs.

India closed out the game efficiently, the highlight being Arshdeep Singh bowling in the middle overs for the first time in T20Is and taking out the threatening Jason Holder to make sure there was no way back for West Indies.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-india-vs-west-indies-4th-t20i-2022/?feed_id=7535&_unique_id=62eedada1f798

Recent Match Report - West Indies vs India 3rd T20I 2022

India 165 for 3 (Suryakumar 76, Pant 33*, Hosein 1-28) beat West Indies 164 for 5 (Mayers 73, Powell 23, Bhuvneshwar 2-35) by seven wickets

Suryakumar Yadav put on a workshop on how to hit hard lengths after Hardik Pandya and R Ashwin helped India keep West Indies down to 164 in their 20 overs. Riding on Suryakumar's 76 off 44 balls, India got to their target and a 2-1 lead in the five-match series with an over to spare.

Put in on a bouncy track that was hosting its second match in two days, West Indies got off to a quick start in the powerplay, but Pandya and Ashwin dragged them back with their changes of pace. Between them, they conceded just 45 in eight overs.

While Kyle Mayers scored a 50-ball 73, run-a-ball 20s from Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran hurt West Indies' momentum. Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell helped them get 80 off the last seven but it wasn't enough to trouble Suryakumar.

Right from the first ball he faced, Suryakumar looked in imperious touch, squeezing out a near-yorker for four through cover. He followed it with scarcely believable shots to perfectly acceptable balls bowled on hard lengths.

Five of his 12 boundaries came behind square on the off side, and one behind square on the leg side, but his best shot was an aerial inside-out drive to a short-of-a-length ball on middle stump, getting a six over wide long-off. It was but one of an exhibition put on by Suryakumar, who at one point threatened to score a century in a small chase.

By the time he was done, India needed just 30 off 33 balls.

Mayers signals intent
India snuck in a quiet over from Deepak Hooda with the new ball, but Mayers got stuck into any pace on offer, especially that of Avesh Khan. If he went over the leg side against Avesh, he made room to slice open the covers when Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled. Arshdeep Singh did well in the final powerplay over, but Mayers and King punished two slight errors of length from Ashwin in the seventh over to make it 56 for 0.

Pandya, Ashwin choke the middle overs
Pandya, who had been pulled for a six in his first over, got a change of ends, which meant Mayers was hitting into a stiff wind if he pulled. Extra bounce, hard lengths and changes of pace followed in the next three overs, which went for just 11 runs, and also brought the wicket of King, who played on when slogging at Pandya.

Ashwin had two left-hand batters in sight, and he stifled them with his guile and variations on a pitch with little turn. Mayers and Pooran managed to hit a four and a six in his remaining three overs, but had to take big risks. By the time the duo was done, West Indies had reached just 84 in 13 overs.

Honours even in final exchanges
West Indies managed to successfully target Avesh in the final exchanges, but Arshdeep and Bhuvneshwar kept pulling them back, denying them the finishing kick they badly needed after that middle-overs slowdown. Mayers and Rovman Powell played some incredible shots to get them the 80 runs they did in these seven overs, but they were about to pale in comparison.

The Suryakumar show
The first ball Suryakumar - opening for the third time this series - faced was a low full-toss with not much room, but he squeezed it out for a four through the covers. He was just warming up those whippy wrists of his. In the fourth over, he played a mix of a ramp and a drive to send Azlarri Joseph for a six over third.

India took 56 off the powerplay, which is when West Indies would have hoped to have brought on a slowdown like the one they experienced.

However, Suryakumar took Jason Holder on in the eighth over, and then punished Joseph for no fault of his in the tenth. The drive off a short-of-a-length delivery for six over wide long-off was followed by a ramp from around leg stump, with Suryakumar almost on his back as he arched back to make room. It was the halfway mark, and India needed just another 69.

Before he signed off, Suryakumar played another outrageous shot, a sweep off left-arm seamer Dominic Drakes from wide outside off and over short fine. When he tried a repeat, Suryakumar fell, leaving India just 30 to get in 33 balls, which they did comfortably thanks to Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 33 off 26 deliveries.

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-west-indies-vs-india-3rd-t20i-2022/?feed_id=5944&_unique_id=62ea3824bc1b7

Match Preview - West Indies vs India, India in West Indies 2022, 2nd T20I

India's T20 machine is purring again. All the talk coming from within the team - from the coach to the captain to the players - is that they haven't done much different. But it is fairly clear that the early exit from last year's T20 World Cup has led to some sort of a revolution.

From being a team that totally relied on their big bad top three - to the point that Virat Kohli once straight up lolled at the prospect of ever dropping Rohit Sharma - India are now front-loading their finishers just to shake things up a bit. Rishabh Pant has had a stint as opener in England. Suryakumar Yadav too in the first T20I of this series.

India have also warmed up to the idea of picking super-specialists, with Arshdeep Singh forcing his way into the XI just to bowl his remarkably hard-to-hit yorkers at the death and Dinesh Karthik pretty much nailing his spot as the 12-ball 38 not-out guy. It's a brave new world out there.

And West Indies are still trying to find their place in it. They have the raw material for another world-beating team, but they haven't gained the kind of experience that Chris Gayle and company had under their belt when they took T20 batting and broke it down into the barest essential: six-hitting. So, in a way, all these games against seriously strong opponents, regardless of the result, are simply creating the next wave of Caribbean class. But given there is a series on the line, and they did kind of dominate the first 15 overs of the first T20I, these potential superstars will feel their own time is not too far away.

West Indies: LWWLL (Last five matches, most recent first)
India: WLWWW

Harshal Patel had to make way in Tarouba because conditions demanded three spinners. But now that the T20 caravan has moved to Basseterre, he might find his way back into the XI. The 31-year old seamer has an uncanny knack of bowling exactly the ball that batters don't want to face in the final overs. And a captain will want an asset like that more often than not.

Kyle Mayers' all-round ability means he is never too far from the spotlight. And the fact that he opens for West Indies means that he's the sort of player who can define a cricket match. He has already done so in the toughest format of the game - remember Chittagong 2021 - so figuring out T20 cricket shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Brandon King and Romario Shepherd are set to slot back into the XI after missing the first T20I because of US visa appointments. Also, playing just one spinner in Tarouba backfired on West Indies, so they may be tempted to look at bringing in Hayden Walsh Jr on Monday

West Indies: 1 Kyle Mayers, 2 Brandon King, 3 Nicholas Pooran (capt & wk), 4 Jason Holder, 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Keemo Paul/Hayden Walsh Jr, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Obed McCoy

India rarely tinker with a winning combination, especially during a series that is still live, but will they need all three spinners again in Basseterre? The quicks have taken 71 wickets in 10 matches here, averaging just 17.

India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Suryakumar Yadav, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dinesh Karthik, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Ravi Bishnoi/Harshal Patel, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Arshdeep Singh

In addition to being fast-bowler friendly, Warner Park has also been a relatively low-scoring T20I venue. It was here, back in 2019, that West Indies recorded the lowest total (45 all out) by a Full Member in this format. The weather is expected to be clear for the duration of the match.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/match-preview-west-indies-vs-india-india-in-west-indies-2022-2nd-t20i/?feed_id=4894&_unique_id=62e71fe7969d0

Recent Match Report - India vs West Indies 1st T20I 2022

India 190 for 6 (Rohit 64, Karthik 41*, Joseph 2-46) beat West Indies 122 for 8 (Brooks 20, Ashwin 2-22, Arshdeep 2-24, Bishnoi 2-26) by 68 runs

In the first international game at Brian Lara Stadium, India's move to go in with three spinners - as opposed to West Indies' one - reaped rich dividends as Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin and Ravi Bishnoi combined to pick five of the eight wickets to fall, helping them to a 68-run win in the first T20I of the five match series.

In T20s before Friday at this ground, spinners had an economy rate of 6.31, which is the fourth-lowest among all the venues in West Indies. They averaged 20.91 - again the fourth-lowest at any Caribbean venue where spinners have bowled in more than ten innings.

India managed to post a tall 190 for 6 on a seemingly slowish surface, thanks to captain Rohit Sharma's half century and Dinesh Karthik's perfect finishing act of an unbeaten 41 off just 19 balls before the West Indies' batting was entangled in the web of spin.

Another partner for Rohit

After being put to bat, Rohit walked out with a new partner, Suryakumar Yadav, who was the seventh opener for India in T20Is this year. Suryakumar got going quickly with a four off Obed McCoy in the first over and then another off Jason Holder in the next. His trademark wristily-flick for six over fine leg also made an appearance - debutant Alzarri Joseph bearing the ignominy.

However Akeal Hosein's introduction had Suryakumar stalling. He was dropped off the first ball from the spinner before a top edge on the very next ball saw it evade the bowler running back. However, Hosein had the last laugh in the next over after Suryakumar's attempted whip resulted in a thick leading edge to short third.

Change in pace leads to change of momentum

India had raced to 44 inside five overs but Suryakumar's wicket slowed down the proceedings. Despite finding a couple of boundaries early on, Rohit struggled to get the ball away. With the odd ball gripping the surface, Hosein and McCoy used that to their advantage with the latter dismissing Shreyas Iyer for a four-ball duck.

While Rohit got his eye in, Rishabh Pant threw his hands around to get a couple of fours. Their partnership of 43 off just 25 balls helped Rohit free himself up. But then India lost Pant and Hardik Pandya - who ramped a Joseph short ball straight to deep third for his maiden T20I wicket - in quick succession to find themselves at 102 for 4 with over eight overs left.

Dinesh Karthik and Ravichandran Ashwin added an unbeaten 52-run stand to take India to 190•Associated Press

The perfect finish

In the interim Rohit got to his 27th half-century in T20Is off 35 balls. Just when he started accelerating, he slapped Holder straight to sweeper cover. At 131 for 5 in 15 overs on a track slowing down, India looked on course to finish around the 170-run mark.

But Karthik once again aced in his designated finisher's role to help India get close to 200. He used the crease well to put the bowlers off their lines and lengths. In the company of Ashwin, he took a toll on the erring Holder and McCoy to help India amass 36 off the last two overs.

Spin to win

In their pursuit of 191, Kyle Mayers got West Indies off to a rapid start, helping them score 11 off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's first over and as many in the first three balls of Arshdeep Singh's over. However, Arshdeep managed to deceive Mayers with an off-pace short ball to crash-land the chase.

Holder, sent in at No. 3 couldn't see off Ravindra Jadeja's spin while Ashwin managed to see the back of the left-handers in Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer. Ravi Bishnoi then dismissed Rovman Powell and Odean Smith in successive overs to pretty much seal the game.

S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-india-vs-west-indies-1st-t20i-2022/?feed_id=4117&_unique_id=62e4ab3d409fa

Match Preview - West Indies vs India, India in West Indies 2022, 1st T20I

Big picture

Move over ODI cricket, the new dying format of the game. Welcome, T20Is, the koolest kid on the block, more so in a T20 World Cup year.

With the global tournament in Australia less than three months away, this five-match T20I series presents a big opportunity for West Indies and India to firm up their plans.

After failing to qualify for the knockouts of the 2021 edition, India changed their batting template. This year, they have scored at a rate of 9.45 per over. If you leave aside 2013, when they played just one T20I, this is their best scoring rate in any calendar year. In fact, no other team has scored at a faster rate than India this year.

With Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya returning after being rested for the ODI series, India will look to further fine-tune their approach. They have also brought back Paddy Upton as a mental conditioning coach to keep the players in the best frame of mind.

In recent years, T20I cricket has been West Indies' strongest suit. But, not for the first time, they will be without many of their stars who lit up various T20 leagues around the world. Kieron Pollard has retired, while Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are not part of the squad.

The team, though, will carry the confidence from their 2-0 win against Bangladesh in the format, as well as from a much-improved performance in the ODI series against India. Nicholas Pooran will once again be the key to West Indies' fortunes. He will have the support of Shimron Hetmyer, who is back in the squad after proving his fitness. The question is, can others - especially the bowlers - lift their game as well?

Form guide

West Indies WWLLL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India LWWWW

In the spotlight

Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant were not supposed to compete for the same spot. But if India play Karthik as a specialist finisher, that means there is one fewer middle-order slot available. If we consider Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya as the certainties for the World Cup, Pant's place could possibly be in danger. In 50 T20Is, Pant has a strike rate of just 124.27, which pales in comparison to his overall T20 strike rate of 145.44. Is being a left-hander enough to warrant a place in the side? But then has Karthik done enough to secure his place in the XI? He is supposed to be the enforcer in the last five overs, but his first-ten-balls strike rate in T20Is this year is a mere 81.36 (48 runs off 59 balls). For comparison, his corresponding strike rate in IPL 2022 was 166.67 (190 runs off 114 balls). This series should give India a clearer picture for this conundrum.

Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik or both - who will India choose?•PTI

Shimron Hetmyer has proved his fitness, but is he carrying his form as well with him? At IPL 2022, he excelled in the role of a finisher for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 314 in 15 innings at a strike rate of 153.92. But in the two months since then, he hasn't played any cricket. And just like Pant, he too has contrasting strike rates in T20Is and T20s. Overall, he has struck at 133.45 but at the international level, that number plummets to 118.71.

Team news

Hetmyer is back in the West Indies T20I squad after clearing a fitness test. Evin Lewis continues to miss out, so West Indies are likely to persist with the opening combination of Kyle Mayers and Brandon King.

West Indies (probable): 1 Kyle Mayers, 2 Brandon King, 3 Nicholas Pooran (capt & wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Rovman Powell, 6 Jason Holder, 7 Odean Smith/Dominic Drakes/Romario Shepherd, 8 Alzarri Joseph, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Obed McCoy, 11 Hayden Walsh Jr

India seem to have found all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. It's now about putting them in their right places. With KL Rahul not available, will they continue to open with Pant? Has Deepak Hooda, with his all-round game with the bat and handy offspin, pipped Shreyas Iyer for a slot in the middle order? Who will lead the spin attack in the absence of Yuzvendra Chahal? It seems we will have to wait for the match day to find the answers.

India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Rishabh Pant (wk), 3 Deepak Hooda/Shreyas Iyer, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 R Ashwin/Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Avesh Khan/Arshdeep Singh

Pitch and conditions

This will be the first international match to be played at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. The venue has hosted 31 CPL games, the last of which was in 2020. The scoring rate in those games was 7.40. The weather, though, could play a spoilsport as there is an 80% chance of rain on Friday morning.

Stats and trivia

• Both Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja are two strikes away from 50 T20I wickets. Only Yuzvendra Chahal (79), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (70), Jasprit Bumrah (69) and R Ashwin (61) have taken 50 or more wickets for India in T20Is.
• On Wednesday, Martin Guptill (3399) overtook Rohit (3379) as the leading run-scorer in T20Is. Both players will be in action on Friday.
• Eleven bowlers have bowled ten or more powerplay overs in T20Is this year. Among those, Akeal Hosein's economy rate of 9.20 is the worst in that phase.

Quotes

"We have been playing good T20 cricket. We had good games with India in India. We know the quality that they have. Let's wait and see how we come up on Friday."
West Indies coach Phil Simmons looks ahead to the T20I series

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/match-preview-west-indies-vs-india-india-in-west-indies-2022-1st-t20i/?feed_id=3641&_unique_id=62e35822894d7

Recent Match Report - India vs West Indies 3rd ODI 2022

India 225 for 3 (Gill 98*, Dhawan 58, Iyer 44, Walsh 2-57) beat West Indies 137 (Pooran 42, King 42, Chahal 4-17) by 119 runs via DLS method

The first two matches of the series were tight contests where both teams remained in contention until the final ball was bowled. But India had it much easier during the third ODI in Port-of-Spain, as the visitors completed a 3-0 sweep of West Indies following contributions from Shubman Gill, who hit a career-best 98 not out, Shikhar Dhawan, who got 58, and Shreyas Iyer, who contributed a quickfire 44. All their bowlers chipped in too, as West Indies fell away quickly during the chase.

The hosts were asked to chase a DLS-revised target of 257 in 35 overs after India posted 225 in 36, their innings ending prematurely after a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay had already trimmed it down to 40 overs.

Mohammed Siraj put West Indies on the back foot in the second over of the chase, when he cleaned Kyle Mayers up with a good length delivery before trapping Shamarh Brooks in front with one that angled in. West Indies were 0 for 2 at that stage, with nine deliveries gone.

Brandon King and Shai Hope briefly brought them back on track with a 47-run stand before Yuzvendra Chahal had Hope stumped for 22. King was then joined by Nicholas Pooran in another partnership that gave West Indies hope, before Axar Patel's arm ball in the 14th over bowled King for 42.

But immediately after, Pooran fired a six and four off Deepak Hooda, keeping his side afloat as the required rate hovered around eight an over. However, Keacy Carty's struggle to get going at the other end seemed to put pressure back on Pooran; when Carty finally decided to try something different, he skipped down to Shardul Thakur in the 19th over only to bottom-edge on to his stumps for 5 off 17 balls.

By then, West Indies needed nearly 10 an over, and although Pooran hit two more fours off Axar, he fell for 42 in the 22nd over to all but end the game, which had been set up by India's opening batters Gill and Dhawan.

In their third successful partnership in a row - following stands of 119 and 48 and now 113 - the right-left pair started sedately in what was an innings of two halves from India: the first 24 overs produced 115 runs; the next 12 fetched 110.

Gill missed out on what would have been his maiden ODI hundred, as a second rain interruption meant India's innings was announced closed with a scheduled four overs left at that stage. When play resumed after the first rain delay, India had 16 overs remaining, as Gill and Iyer switched gears to accelerate the innings.

Both batters threw everything at the bowling after having to adjust for the loss of overs: they came down the pitch to the spinners, tried the reverse sweep, played aerial shots while pulling and driving, and kept lofting over the in-field.

Gill and Iyer added 86 for the second wicket in less than ten overs, making up for the sedate beginning after Dhawan opted to bat on winning the toss. Dhawan was quiet to start the innings, his 58 coming off 74 balls on a slow pitch where he did try attacking, but often failed to time and place the ball.

Dhawan hit seven fours, while Gill also hit as many along with two sixes. The first two overs after the rain break saw 31 runs being plundered - including four fours and two sixes - as Gill and Iyer pulled, cut and drove for fun. Their partnership had only just started before rain broke through.

But Hayden Walsh Jr's second ball after the break was swung for six over deep square leg by Iyer, signalling India's intent early, as quick runs were the need of the hour. The next ball was bisected for four between point and short third, before Gill skipped down off the final delivery and swung over the bowler's head for six.

West Indies brought some pace from the other end, only for Iyer to hit one four off Jayden Seales, and Gill to slam consecutive fours - the first of which was supreme timing to place the ball past mid-off - as India raced along.

Both batters continued finding the boundary when the hosts switched to Jason Holder and Akeal Hosein, before Iyer swatted the latter to long-on for 44 off 34 balls. But Gill kept ticking the scoreboard at the other end, as Suryakumar Yadav joined him in pursuit of rapid runs.

Suryakumar fell for 8 after carving one four behind point just two overs before play came to a halt, with Gill having skipped from 51 off 65 balls at one stage, to an unbeaten, run-a-ball 98. He might rue missing out on a century, as he got only 13 off his last 14 balls - perhaps just one more ball would have been enough to get to triple figures. In the end, though, it didn't make too much difference to India's fortunes.

Himanshu Agrawal is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-india-vs-west-indies-3rd-odi-2022/?feed_id=3150&_unique_id=62e20523844a4

Recent Match Report - West Indies vs India 2nd ODI 2022

India 312 for 8 (Axar 64*, Iyer 63, Samson 54, Joseph 2-46, Mayers 2-48) beat West Indies 311 for 6 (Hope 115, Pooran 74, Thakur 3-54) by two wickets

Axar Patel smashed India's second-fastest ODI fifty against West Indies, leading the way in a collective batting effort in a big chase as India overhauled West Indies' 311 in the second ODI in Port of Spain. Shai Hope's hundred in his 100th ODI and Nicholas Pooran's attacking 74 went in vain, as West Indies lost the match - and with it, the series - despite dominating the majority of their defence.

Shreyas Iyer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) also hit half-centuries, but Axar's unbeaten 64 off just 35 balls turned the tables in the last ten overs.

India needed 100 to win from 60 balls with five wickets in hand, and Axar and Hooda were at the crease. Hooda fell for 33 with 56 to get off 36, leaving Axar and Shardul Thakur to complete the job. By then, Axar had already clobbered three sixes. More were on the way.

The turning point arrived when 48 was required off the last five overs. Though he dismissed Thakur, Alzarri Joseph conceded 16 - including two above-waist full-toss no-balls - in the 46th, and West Indies missed running No. 10 Avesh Khan out off the last ball. Next over, Axar slammed two fours and Avesh added one more off Romario Shepherd. Suddenly the equation was 19 off 18.

Avesh wouldn't go without collecting his share of runs even though he had earlier leaked 54 in six overs on ODI debut. He hit ten off 12 balls, asking Axar to wipe out the last eight runs in the company of Mohammed Siraj. Axar, in red-hot touch, got a full toss from Kyle Mayers, which he sent flying over the bowler's head to finish things off with two balls to go.

Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson put up a 99-run stand•AFP/Getty Images

The chase was set up by a firm start from Shubman Gill, and then a 99-run stand between Iyer and Samson. Gill made up for his partner Shikhar Dhawan's struggles with a serene 43 off 49 balls. But when he and Suryakumar Yadav fell in the space of 11 balls, India were 79 for 3 in the 18th over.

Samson got to his maiden ODI fifty - his knock of 54 off 51 balls included three fours and three sixes - and was at his best when clearing the long-off boundary by lofting the spinners, high elbows and all in full display. Iyer, on the other hand, had had a sedate start, managing only 19 off his first 33 deliveries. That is when he broke free to finish with 63 off 71 balls, cutting, pulling and lifting for boundaries.

The fact that India had as many as 312 to chase was down to Hope and Pooran's fourth-wicket stand of 117, 74 of which came off Pooran's bat. Hope got 115 - his third triple-figure score in 11 ODI innings.

Having taken 124 balls to get to 94, Hope swung back-to-back sixes off Yuzvendra Chahal in the 45th over to get to his landmark and cap an expensive day for Chahal, of whom he took all three of his sixes. Chahal finished with 1 for 69 in nine overs.

But it was not just Hope who took a liking to Chahal; Pooran too bashed three sixes - including two in the 39th over - off him. Their partnership, just short of a-run-a-ball, gradually took the momentum away from India, who had struck twice in quick succession after an aggressive start by West Indies.

Shai Hope hit a century in his 100th ODI•Associated Press

Through Hope and his opening partner Mayers, the hosts had put on 71 in the first ten overs - their joint-highest score in the period in ODIs since 2020. By the time Hooda broke through, pouching a simple return-catch from Mayers off the first ball of the tenth over, the pair had already smashed ten fours and a six. Mayers led the way in that stand, hitting 39 off 23 balls, as Avesh took the biggest beating.

Mayers timed and placed the ball equally well, and thrashed it around too. Once West Indies lost two wickets for three runs, Pooran took over the attacking role.

On 11 off his first 26 balls, he hit the first of his six sixes when he went hard and flat over long-off in the 32nd over; three overs later, he skipped down to send Chahal sailing back over his head. While sixes were hit off Axar and Avesh as well, Hope kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end.

Hope's innings was one of three parts: he started with 22 off 21 balls, then got 73 from his next 103 deliveries, and hit 20 off his next 11 balls. It all added up to carry West Indies firmly towards the 300-run mark. He produced impressive drives and punches - and a poke through deep third for four - to start the day with Mayers, accumulated singles and ran well along with Pooran, and went for the slogs in the end after Pooran fell in the 44th over.

Cameos from Shamarh Brooks, Rovman Powell and Shepherd helped West Indies' cause. Brooks got going the moment Mayers fell, and scored 35 off 36; Powell and Shepherd provided the finishing touches.

But eventually, the day belonged to Axar and Co despite the heroics of Pooran and Hope, especially the latter, who got to both his fifty and hundred with a six, in Virender Sehwag fashion, even as he played a more anchor-ish role.

Himanshu Agrawal is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-west-indies-vs-india-2nd-odi-2022/?feed_id=1662&_unique_id=62de0c0e2f2e0

Recent Match Report - India vs West Indies 1st ODI 2022

50 overs India 308 for 7 (Dhawan 97, Gill 64, Iyer 54, Motie 2-54, Joseph 2-61) vs West Indies

Overcast conditions owing to rain early in the morning were meant to make batting difficult. West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran opted to bowl first at the toss, Shikhar Dhawan, his India counterpart, said he would have liked to chase too.

However, the sun emerged out of the clouds in the first ten overs, and shone bright - literally as well as figuratively - on India's batting. Dhawan and his opening partner Shubman Gill feasted on some ill-disciplined new-ball bowling from West Indies to add 119 for the first wicket.

Dhawan, Gill, and one-drop Shreyas Iyer all hit half-centuries as India looked on course for a score around 350. However, with the ball holding on the surface towards the end of the innings, West Indies varied their lengths and pace to restrict India to 308 for 7, with the visitors losing five wickets for only 83 runs in the last 15 overs.

Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales gave away as many as six boundaries in the first six overs, even though they bowled a combined 24 dot balls. At the end of the first powerplay of ten overs, India had raced to 73 without loss, with Dhawan and Gill hitting 11 fours and two sixes while also facing 38 dots.

Gill - chosen ahead of Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad - looked particularly fluent in his strokeplay, driving and flicking at will. He got off the mark with a pristinely-timed cover drive off Seales before executing a perfect back-foot punch in the next over off Joseph. He cashed in on any width provided by the seamers and welcomed left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie with beautifully timed six over mid-on, and got to his maiden ODI fifty off just 36 balls.

Dhawan, who had returns of 31*, 9 and 1 in the recent ODI series against England, was happy to leave deliveries outside off to get his eye in before freeing his arms to collect boundaries and make up for the dots. Though he played second fiddle to Gill, Dhawan ensured the good start didn't go to waste, bringing up his 36th fifty in the format.

Just when it looked like West Indies would struggle to get a breakthrough, Gill threw away a chance to get to triple figures. He tucked a Joseph delivery towards midwicket and set off on a jog, only to be run out by a direct hit from an alert Pooran at square leg.

Iyer took his time to get going, with Motie mixing up his pace to go with Joseph's short-ball attack from the other end. The five overs after Gill's wicket brought just 17 runs, that phase ending with Iyer on 3 off 15 balls. Sensing a chance to apply the squeeze, Pooran brought Akeal Hosein on and bowled him in tandem with Motie. Both spinners managed to find enough from the surface to keep even a set Dhawan quiet.

But the Indian captain broke the shackles by first slog sweeping Motie for a six over deep square leg and hitting Pooran's part-time offspin for a maximum over long-on an over later. Iyer then tore into Pooran, hitting a four and a six off successive deliveries, before Dhawan deposited Motie over midwicket again.

However, an acrobatic catch by Shamarh Brooks at backward point ended Dhawan's innings on 97 off the very next ball. An over later, Iyer fell after his fifty - thanks to a full-stretch leap from Pooran at cover - and the brakes began to be applied on India's innings.

With Suryakumar Yadav chopping Hosein on to his stumps, and Sanju Samon and Deepak Hooda struggling to get the ball away, India were in danger of being restricted to under 300. But Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur managed to find the boundary towards the end of the innings - 36 came from the last three overs - to help India get past 300.

Speaking to the host broadcaster during the break, Gill suggested that spinners could be key for India, with the pitch having started to grip in the second half of their innings. West Indies, who have been bowled out in all but five of their ODI innings this year, will have their task cut out.

S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-india-vs-west-indies-1st-odi-2022/?feed_id=307&_unique_id=62daf40c7676f