2nd ODI: Bowlers, Hope help West Indies beat India by six wickets, level series 1-1

Bridgetown (Barbados), July 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) A disciplined bowling effort led by three-fers from Gudakesh Motie (3/36) and Romario Shepherd (3/37), followed by a fine half-century from Shai Hope (63 not out) helped West Indies draw level the three-match series 1-1 with a convincing six-wicket win over India in the second ODI, here on Saturday.

Opener Ishan Kishan (55) struck his second successive half-century but India failed to capitalise on a good start on a difficult pitch that offered variable bounce to be all out for 181 in 40.5 overs.

In reply, West Indies chased down the target in 36.4 overs with six wickets in hand, courtesy of a steady 91 not out stand between Hope and Keacy Carty (48 not out). This was West Indies first ODI win against India in last ten matches

Chasing a small total, Kyle Mayers was off the blocks quickly, driving and flicking India's new-ball pair of Hardik Pandya and Mukesh Kumar before Brandon King joined in, going past 1000 ODI runs with consecutive boundaries off Umran Malik.

Mayers then welcomed Shardul Thakur into the attack with a stylish flick for six to bring up the fifty partnership on the first ball of the ninth over, but fell attempting a repeat of the same one ball later. In the same over, Thakur trapped King LBW to reduce West Indies to 54/2.

With Hope on crease, West Indies had managed to move on quickly but Thakur struck again to remove Alick Athanaze. However, the captain ensured West Indies didn't waste a perfect start like the visitors.

Hosts lost Shimron Hetmyer to a Kuldeep Yadav googly but Hope kept the scoreboard ticking just enough to keep them ahead of the DLS par score given the overcast conditions. And once Carty got his eye in, the pair did well to rotate strike effectively and inch closer to the target.

Hope brought up his fifty in 70 balls, also taking his team past the 150-run mark in the process. Despite not exactly dealing in boundaries until the very end, the pair took control of the chase and made sure West Indies scaled the target comfortably.

Earlier, put into bat first, India made a hash of things after getting a good start thanks to Ishan, who struck a run-a-ball 55, his second after the 52 in the first match that India won.

Kishan and Shubman Gill raised 90 runs for the opening wicket but the West Indies capitalised on the juice offered by the wicket that was slow but offered bounce too. The disaster struck India just before the first rain interruption midway through their innings when the visitors lost two wickets off successive deliveries, slumping to 113/5 in the 25th over from 95/2 in the 18th over.

Axar Patel, sent ahead of Hardik Pandya failed too. Stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya (7), leading the side as Rohit Sharma and senior batter Virat Kohli have been rested, tried to pull a bouncer around shoulder height from Jayden Seales but got it straight to Brandon King at midwicket. Pandya was the fourth batter to get out in the last ball of the 24th over.

Sanju Samson (9) got out off the first delivery of the 25th over as he edged leg spinner Yannic Cariah to King in the slips, getting squared up as he shaped up to hit it square and the ball spun and bounced and took the edge.

India lost two quick wickets again after a 30-minute rain interruption as Ravindra Jadeja (10) and Suryakumar Yadav (24) got out, after repairing the innings a bit by adding 33 runs for the sixth wicket. Shardul Thakur contributed 16 runs off 22 balls but the Indian tail did not last for long as India were eventually bowled out for 181.

Brief scores: India 181 all out in 40.5 overs (Ishan Kishan 55, Shubman Gill 34; Romario Shepherd 3-37, Gudakesh Motie 3-36) lost to West Indies 182/4 in 36.4 overs (Shai Hope 63 not out, Keacy Carty 48 not out; Shardul Thakur 3-42) by six wickets.

Source: IANS