CRICKET
1st ODI: Holder resists but India ease to win
Jason Holder scored a crucial half-century but still, West Indies were bowled out on just 176 runs, and once again they failed to play all the 50 overs in an innings.
Yuzvendra Chahal was awarded as Player of the Match for his superb 4-wickets haul.
India chased down the target comfortably with six wickets and 22 overs to spare.
The new full-time appointed skipper Rohit Sharma was the leading run-scorer in the first match, scoring 60 runs off 51 balls.
West Indies 43.5 overs 176 all-out
Holder 57 (71) Chahal 4-49 F. Allen 29 (43) W. Sundar 3-30 Pooran 18 (25) Prasidh 2-29
India 28 overs 178-4
R. Sharma 60 (51) A. Joseph 2-45 S.K.Yadav 34*(36) A. Hosein 1-46 I. Kishan 28 (36)
India registered a convincing victory in their 1000th ODI match under the leadership of their new full-time captain Rohit Sharma.
The Indian bowlers were all over the West Indies batters throughout the 1st innings.
Jason Holder scored an important 78 runs partnership for the 8th wicket to put something on the board for the bowlers to defend.
However, 176 runs wasn’t enough against the brilliant Indian batting lineup.
Team India decided to bowl first after winning yet another toss.
Mohammed Siraj gave India their first breakthrough in only the third over by dismissing Shai Hope for just 8 runs.
Hope got an inside edge straight into the stumps while trying to drive the ball for the 3rd consecutive time.
Washington Sundar then picked up 2 big wickets in a single over to put West Indies in a rebuilding phase early on in their innings.
Sundar dismissed Brandon King on the 2nd while Darren Bravo on the last ball of his over.
After Washington Sundar’s double-wicket over, the second and spinner Yuzvendra Chahal came into the action by dismissing the dangerous Pooran and Pollard on back-to-back deliveries in the 20th over.
Jason Holder’s excellent knock
West Indies was struggling badly at 79-7 in 23 overs but Holder played a crucial knock to rescue his side.
His partnership with Fabian Allen saved them from getting bowled out under the 100 run mark.
The 78 run partnership between Fabian Allen and Jason Holder helped West Indies to cross the 150 runs mark.
Fabian Allen was caught and bowled by Washington Sundar after scoring important 29 runs for his side.
Jason Holder played an outstanding knock and he tried to add as many runs as possible to the total but his resistance came to end when Prasidh Krishna got him caught behind with a brilliant back of the length outside-off delivery.
Holder tried to play it through the covers but got an edge that went in Pant’s hand.
Holder scored 57 runs off 71 deliveries including 4 fours.
Yuzvendra Chahal claimed an excellent 4-wicket haul while Washington Sundar also picked up 3 wickets.
Superb start from Rohit
India had a very bright start to their chase as Rohit Sharma played an outstanding knock of 60 runs off just 51 balls.
He shared an 84 run stand with Ishan Kishan for the first wicket.
Rohit was more aggressive as he smashed 10 fours and a six in his knock.
Ishan Kishan also scored 28 runs off 36 balls before getting caught out at the boundary on Akeal Hosein’s delivery in the 17th over.
SKY and Hooda get India over the line
After the dismissal of Rohit the former skipper Virat Kohli also had a short stay at the crease and India lost some quick wickets in that period.
India has a tiny collapse from 84-0 to 116-4 but the target wasn’t big enough to bother team India.
Suryakumar Yadav and the debutant Deepak Hooda batted nicely to get India over the line comfortably in just 28 overs.
Yadav remained unbeaten on 36 runs off 34 balls while Deepak Hooda also scored a not-out 26 runs off 32 balls.