Kingston, June 27: Prior to Friday only one international team had managed to score over 300 runs at Sabina Park in a One Day International – Pakistan made 349 against lowly Zimbabwe in the 2007 World Cup. Today two teams surpassed the 300 mark but one enjoyed it considerably more than the other.
India overcame nerves and a few late scares to emerge victors in the First Digicel One Day International by 20 runs after amassing the second highest ODI score in Kingston. Set an imposing 340 for victory the Windies were all out for 319 in the penultimate over after a brave late order salvo from wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and the Windies tail.
India reached 340 primarily due to Yuvraj Singh’s clinical and dismissive hitting as he muscled his way to 131. In the end it was enough to have won his side the game. His captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni declared afterwards that Yuvraj’s innings was what made the marked difference in the two sides on the day. Chris Gayle, the defeated captain could not disagree.
With the run rate steadily moving northward Ramdin took a Twenty20 approach and rallied the lower order, hitting 29 from 26 deliveries. The feisty Trinidadian marshalled the lower order to stage a courageous fight but there was too much to be done by the bottom half of the batting line up after the full fledged batsmen stumbled.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul top scored with 63 from 59 deliveries inclusive of three fours and a similar number of maximums but his effort was not enough to give the Windies the advantage at any stage. Chanderpaul reached his half century from 51 deliveries but as he attempted to accelerate, as he needed to, the left hander held out to Ravindra Jadeja on the deep mid wicket boundary.
Throughout the innings the home side lost wickets just as partnerships were forming which was their eventual undoing on a pitch which held no terrors. Ramdin and company’s desperate bid as the overs ran out offered a semblance of hope but the required run rate kept mounting and the Indians confidence increased with the loss of each wicket until Ashish Nehra finished things off in the 49th over.
All the Windies batsmen at the top of the order got starts but none was able to prod on and post a substantial total which was needed to swing the mammoth run chase in their favour.
Chris Gayle commenced at a ferocious pace, clobbering 37 from 33 before becoming the first of Nehra’s three wickets. Ramnaresh Sarwan looked as ominous as Yuvraj did earlier in the day, cruising to 45 (1×4, 3×6) then fell via the dreaded run out route. Runako Morton, the Nevisian enjoying a resurgence in his international career, also got into the 40s but when on 45 was adjudged caught behind but television replays clearly showed that he did not hit the ball with his bat. He marched off five short of a half century and in understandable disgust.
The Windies were hard done by another tough umpiring as Dwayne Bravo (8) was also sent on his way despite being caught off a delivery which should have been declared a no ball for height.
Despite the mounting challenge Chanderpaul motored on but was stalled with the score on 224, being the 5th wicket to go.
At that stage several fans, having relinquished hope, began to depart but the late order, shepherded by Ramdin switched to Twenty20 mode and played fearlessly. Jerome Taylor, promoted ahead of Ramdin and David Bernard Jr, swatted his way to 21 from 15 while Bernard Jr added another 19 but the task was beyond their collective effort.
After India won the toss and elected to bat on the batting friendly track they faltered initially but the innings found a foundation in Yuvraj’s audacious century. The left hander cavorted his way to 131 from a mere 102 deliveries, butchering ten fours and seven mighty sixes as he gained support from opener Dinesh Karthik who contributed 67 (6×4, 1×6) from 77 deliveries.
The pair added 135 for the third wicket after India lost Gautam Gambhir (13) and Rohit Sharma (4) by the 8th over.
There were other meaningful contributions from Dhoni (41) and Yusuf Pathan (40*) as the Windies bowlers struggled to maintain an immaculate line on a pitch which demanded unerring accuracy.
Bravo secured two wickets but his ten overs cost 66 runs, yet he was the pick of the bowlers.
On the flip side Pathan and Nehra both claimed three wickets while Jadeja bowled economically, being the only bowler who went for under five runs an over in the entire game.
The two teams return to Sabina on Sunday for round two before they move to St Lucia for the final two Digicel ODIs.
—IANS