Port of Spain: Indian team all-rounder Axar Patel’s unbeaten knock of 64 runs in 35 balls with five sixes and three fours helped West Indies (India vs West) in a thrilling second one-day international here on Sunday. They took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series (India vs West Indies ODI Series) after beating India’s 2nd ODI by two wickets with two balls to spare.
India had won the first ODI by three runs. After winning the toss and electing to bat, West Indies posted a massive total of 311 for six, thanks to a brilliant century from opener Shai Hope (115 runs) and half-centuries from captain Nicholas Pooran (74 runs) hitting six sixes.
Chasing this target, the Indian team got off to a slow start. But after half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer (63 runs) and Sanju Samson (54 runs) and a 99-run partnership for the fourth wicket between the two, Patel eventually led the team to victory. Patel’s six helped the team win the series at 312 for eight in 49.4 overs.
He also took one wicket for 40 runs. The team had scored 42 runs on a slow pitch for 10 overs without losing a wicket. India lost the wicket of captain Shikhar Dhawan (13) in the 11th over after a rain interruption. Kyle Meyers ended Dhawan’s innings with a brilliant catch at deep third man off Rovman Shepard. The team lost the first wicket for 48 runs. Shubman Gill (43 runs, 49 balls, five fours) also reached the pavilion shortly after.
In the 16th over, Meyers’ short ball was played early and was caught by the same bowler. Suryakumar Yadav (09) sent the first ball of Akil Hossain for a six at long-on in the next over, the first six of the Indian innings. But Meyers bowled Suryakumar in the 18th over and gave the Indian team the third blow for 79 runs.
Samson hit a four on the fine leg as soon as it came. He then hit six sixes in the 20th and 24th over the covers and off Hayden Walsh at long off. Samson and Shreyas Iyer were slowly moving towards a strong partnership. India’s score was 124 for three in 25 overs. They needed 188 runs in the next 25 overs. The required run rate was going up and there was a need to score runs fast to deal with it. During this, Iyer completed his half-century in the 30th over by hitting a four in deep midwicket off Meyers.
He sent this bowler’s slow ball over his own head for a six after a ball. Samson also took advantage of the bad ball and hit a four on the last ball of the over. In this over, 16 runs were added to the team’s account. Iyer was soon out leg before Alzarri Joseph’s yorker. Although the Indian batsman took reviewed this decision it was in favor of the West Indies. Thus ended the 99 partnership between Iyer and Samson.
The team’s score was 187 for four after 35 overs and the required run rate was 8.33. Samson completed his half-century in the 38th over with a four-off Jaden Seals but was run out in the next over. Patel hit sixes in the 41st, 42nd and 43rd overs. He shared a 51-run partnership with Deepak Hooda (33 runs). Patel hit the fourth six in the 46th over. He then hit a four in the next over and completed his half-century in 27 balls with three fours and four sixes.
The team needed 19 runs in 18 balls to win and Patel hit the fifth six and gave the team victory with two balls to spare. Alzarri Joseph and Kyle Meyers took two wickets for West Indies. Jaden Seals, Romario Shepard, and Akil Hossain got a wicket each. On the other hand, Hope, who was dismissed cheaply in the first ODI, played the role of an opener very well. He shared 65 runs for the first wicket with Meyers (39 runs) and then 62 runs for the second wicket with Shamrah Brooks (35 runs).
After the dismissals of Meyers and Brooks, Hope found a good partner in captain Pooran as the duo put on a 126-ball 117 for the fourth wicket. Pooran scored 74 runs in 77 balls with the help of six sixes. Hope was dismissed in the 49th over, hitting eight fours and three sixes in his 135-ball knock. Shardul Thakur (3 for 54) had already lost 13 runs in the first over but made up for it by taking three wickets.
Avesh Khan could not do well in his debut, conceding 54 runs in six overs. Although Mohammad Siraj could not take any wicket but he conceded 46 runs in 10 overs from a maiden. Patel (1/40) and Deepak Hooda (1/42) bowled well while Yuzvendra Chahal (1/69) picked up a wicket but proved to be a bit expensive. Hope appeared in good form in his 100th ODI and made some excellent shots on the off-side and completed his hundred in the 45th over with a six.
Meyers batted aggressively, hitting the debutant charge for boundaries in the fourth and sixth overs as the Indian bowler conceded 36 runs in his first three overs. Meyers hit a four and a six off Thakur in the first two balls. Siraj, however, bowled tightly in the opening spell. Hooda got the team’s first success by dismissing Meyers. Then Hope and Brooks began to form a partnership. Hooda and Patel again bowled tightly so that the West Indies team could add only 42 runs from the 10th to the 20th over.
Hope and Brooks hit a six and a four on Chahal in the 21st over.
