The right-arm fast bowler Prasidh Krishna returned with a superb spell of 9-3-12-4 as India clinched a 44-run victory in the second ODI against the West Indies play at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, and subsequently the three-match ODI series 2-0 with the third match to be played on Saturday, February 12.
After India were restricted to a moderate total of 237/9 from their 50 overs, the home team required their bowlers to step up and Krishna obliged the call, utilising extra bounce from the adjacent surface from the first ODI played on Sunday at the Ahmedabad stadium to trouble the West Indies batsmen.
The West Indies were bowled out for a mere 193 from their 46 overs with Shamarh Brooks top scoring with 44 from 64 balls, for which the flamboyant Caribbean batsman hit a couple of sixes and as many boundaries.
For that matter, the Caribbean flavour of exquisite and exemplary strokeplay was in full display on Wednesday night at Ahmedabad with plenty of the visiting batsmen going for their strokes but not necessarily getting the desired results.
It was West Indies who decided to field after winning the toss in the second ODI. The decision proved right when the Caribbean bowlers were able to restrict India 43/3 with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back in the hut. Sharma (5) was guilty of chasing one wide outside the off stump and edging it behind off Kemar Roach in the third over, Kohli looked promising in his brief stay once again but was lured into an expansive cover drive, which he could only edge behind of the talented West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith for 18.
Rishabh Pant, who was surprisingly promoted as an opener on Wednesday's ODI, could not trouble the scorers as much as he perished on a short ball by Smith, having scored 34 ball 18 with the help of 3 boundaries.
With their backs pressed firmly against the wall, India needed their middle-order to come to the rescue and a pair of Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul led the recovery act. The two right-handed batsmen added 90 runs for the fourth wicket from 106 balls not only to revive India, but also put them on course for a strong total.
However, a horrendous mixup between Rahul and Suryakumar ended in the dismissal of the former for 49, for which the Indian vice-captain faced 48 balls and cracked 4 boundaries and 2 sixes. Suryakumar Yadav carried on to solidify for India, top scoring not only for his side but also in the match with 64 from 83 balls with the help of 5 boundaries.
Having lost wickets in a cluster earlier meant India were always on the back foot and steady flow of the wickets after the fourth-wicket stand meant that the hosts could not push on for a big total anyhow. The spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar made a 41-ball 24 with 1 boundary whereas specialist all-rounder Deepak Hooda battled hard till the end of the Indian innings to make 29 from 25 balls with a couple of hits to the fence.
For the West Indies, Alzarri Joseph was absolutely impressive with a spell of 10-0-36-2, with Smith not too far behind with his 2/29 from 7 overs. The other bowlers in Kemar Roach, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein and Fabian Allen claimed 1 wicket each.
The West Indies were off to a shaky start once again as they lost opening batsman Brandon King and No 3 Darren Bravo in quick succession to be reduced to 38/2 after 9.1 overs. While the Caribbean side had the promise of challenging India in this match with a moderate total to chase, they could not really find their way around the pace and bounce of Krishna, who was supported by other bowlers adequately.
Krishna accounted for the likes of King (18), Bravo (1), Nicolas Pooran (9) as well as Kemar Roach to produce perhaps his best spell for India in ODI cricket. The Caribbean side would be certainly disappointed with the contributions from their middle-order, particularly Pooran and Bravo. The absence of Kieron Pollard, who missed the second ODI due to a niggle, also affected the West Indies.
Hosein did well to score 34 from 52 balls with 3 boundaries whereas Smith hit a couple of sixes and a boundary to score a rapid 20-ball 24 but their performances were just not enough to take West Indies close to the target, with the visiting side losing the second match on the trot in this tour by 44 runs.
For India, Shardul Thakur took 2/41 while the other bowlers in Mohammad Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sundar and Hooda all claimed 1 wicket apiece.
Devarchit Varma is a cricket writer and journalist with an experience of more than a decade, having worked at Hindustan Times (newspaper) and CricketCountry (website). Along with covering international and domestic cricket, he has also interviewed several current and former top players such as Rohit Sharma, Steve Smith, Dale Steyn, Michael Hussey, Jacques Kallis, Brendon McCullum, Shane Watson, Lasith Malinga and many more. He has also worked in other beats as a journalist in Bollywood (Reliance BigOye) and IT (SiliconIndia) industries.
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