INDIA EARNED a narrow three-run win over the West Indies on Friday, in the first One Day International (ODI) at the Queen's Park Oval, St Clair on Friday.
India, who were sent into bat by West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran, made 308 runs for the loss of seven wickets, with skipper Shikhar Dhawan hitting 97 (99 balls, ten fours and three sixes), fellow opener Shubman Gill 64 (53 balls, six fours and two sixes) and Shreyas Iyer 54 (57 balls, five fours and two sixes).
[caption id="attachment_965977" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Cricket fans among the Carib girls in the Trini Posse Stand at the Queen's Park Oval on Friday. - SUREASH CHOLAI[/caption]
The hosts, in their response, were only able to reach 305/6, courtesy of Kyle Mayers' 75, 54 from Brandon King and 44 from Shamarh Brooks.
Akeal Hosein (32) and Romario Shepherd (39) kept hopes alive with an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 53, off 5.3 overs, but India's fast bowler Mohammed Siraj conceded 11 off the final over, with the WI failing to get the required 15 runs to end a six-game losing streak in ODIs.
During the post-game media interview, Pooran said, "It feels like a win for us, bittersweet but we keep speaking about batting 50 overs and today we (did that), and made 300-plus. Hopefully we can grow from strength to strength as a team."
Shai Hope's struggles of late continued when he sliced an attempted pull shot to Shardul Thakur at third man for seven. But Mayers (68 balls, ten fours and a six) and Brooks (61 balls, four fours and a six) stabilised things with a second-wicket stand of 117, off 18.5 overs.
Thakur removed Brooks and Mayers in successive overs – Brooks pulled one to deep square leg and Mayers slashed one to be caught behind.
Pooran, hitting against the line, was held at mid-on off Siraj for 25, and when Rovman Powell (six) was caught at slip off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, the West Indies were in trouble at 196/5 in the 37th over.
Brandon King made a patient 54 (66 balls, two fours and two sixes) but he skied one from Chahal to deep cover, when the score was on 252.
Hosein (32 balls, two fours) and Shepherd (25 balls, three fours and two sixes) tried in vain but the India bowlers held their nerves, in the final stages of the match.
Earlier in the day, India's opening pair of Dhawan and Gill feasted on some indifferent bowling to post a stand of 119, off 17.4 overs.
[caption id="attachment_965975" align="alignnone" width="934"] Indian batsman Sheryan Iyer on the attack against West Indies in the first ODI at the Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, on Friday. - SUREASH CHOLAI[/caption]
However, Gill, against the run of play, flicked a ball from fast bowler Alzarri Joseph to Pooran at midwicket, and failed to beat the direct throw the non-striker's end.
Iyer joined Dhawan and they kept the run-rate hovering at six-per-over. Together, they produced a second-wicket partnership of 94, off 16 overs, but the left-arm spin pair of Gudakesh Motie and Hosein pegged things back with three quick wickets, in the space of f
