What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
BENGALURU: On Wednesday, India routed West Indies by 119 runs (DLS Method) in the 3rd ODI at Port-of-Spain and completed the 3-0 clean-sweep against the hosts for the first time in their backyard. In a rain-curtailed match, India scored 225-3 in 36 overs and then skittled West Indies out for just 137.
Indian captain Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and opted to bat in the dead rubber. Dhawan and his opening partner Shubman Gill accorded a fine start to their team as both cracked half-centuries and cobbled up a 113-run partnership for the first wicket. The left-hander Dhawan extended his good form in this format and batted with authority.
Gill, who had scored 64 and 43 in the first two matches, once again came good and served up a strong case for himself to be a regular opener in the ODIs. He started with a smashing cut off the medium-pacer Jayden Seales in the second over and oozed confidence from the word go. He paced his innings adroitly and at no point looked hurried or slapdash. His shot selection was particularly felicitous.
He reached his fifty in the 22nd over off 60 balls. After Dhawan perished for 58 in the 23rd over, the play was stopped for a while due to rain. When the match began again, Gill stepped on the gas and launched the attack on the bowlers. He was ably supported by Shreyas Iyer who came to bat at No.3 and reeled off a brisk cameo of 44, which included four boundaries and a six.
After Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav fell in quick succession, rain once again played spoilsport. India were 225-3 in 36 overs at that point and Gill was left stranded on 98 off 98 balls. Due to hiatus, the match was reduced to 36 overs and the hosts were given a target of 257.
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj dashed West Indies’ hopes of earning a consolation by eliminating Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks in his first over as the hosts slumped to 0-2. West Indies did not recover from early jolts and the wickets tumbled at regular intervals.
Brandon King gave a sliver of chance by smacking 42 off 37 balls but after he was undone by an arm-ball by Axar Patel in the 14th over, the crushing defeat was imminent.
The leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and medium-pacer Shardul Thakur snapped up four and two scalps respectively and thoroughly demolished the lower middle-order of West Indies as the hosts were rolled over for 137 in 26 overs.
Gill walked away with both Player-of-the-Match and Player-of-the-Series awards.
