India too good for WI in first ODI

Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph, the top performers for the West Indies in their losing effort against India in the first One Day International (ODI), are convinced that the team is capable of being very competitive against India and can put up a better fight when the teams meet again in the second ODI on Wednesday.

The regional side suffered a six-wicket loss in the opening One Day International in Ahmedabad after the West Indies made 176 all out and then saw India ease to 178 for four in 28 overs, to take a one-nil lead in the three-match series.

Asked to take the first strike, the visitors could not handle the spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar, who picked up four and three wickets, respectively, to stifle the Windies innings.

It took a Herculean effort to get the regional side to a decent enough total, as they were in tatters at 79 for seven in the 23rd over, before Holder and Fabian Allen came up with the rescuing act.

The pair shared in a 78-run, eighth-wicket partnership, with Allen going on to make 29 from 43 balls with two fours, and Holder getting a valiant 57 from 71 balls, which included four sixes.

Holder’s effort with the bat allowed the Barbadian all-rounder to join an elite club, having scored 2,000 plus runs and taken 100-plus wickets for the West Indies in ODIs.

He joins Chris Gayle, Sir Viv Richards, Carl Hooper and Dwayne Bravo in achieving the feat.

Antiguan Joseph made his presence felt with the ball, as he took two wickets in the Indian innings. However, a brisk 60 from 51 balls from captain Rohit Sharma set up the run chase, which was finished off by Suryakumar Yadav, 34 not out, and Deepak Hooda, 26, to see the hosts home with a whopping 132 balls to spare.

For Joseph, more runs on the board could have helped the team’s cause.

“We needed to score about 240 to 250 runs, and that would have been a more challenging total on that wicket. It is our first game out and we have two more games in the series; and we will just go back to the drawing board and put our plans in,” said Joseph.

For Holder, a win against this Indian side is not far-fetched; however, the batting unit will have to come up big.

“We have to dig deeper because I don’t think we are too far off, to be fair. Our top order just needs to go a little deeper and put a heavier price on their wickets, and give themselves a good chance in these conditions.”

Holder agrees that similar conditions will greet the team in the coming matches; and with the dew playing a factor late in the game, assessing the conditions will be key.

“You need to give yourself a chance and maybe knock it around and get a run a ball, then try to finish well at the end of the innings,” Holder said.

The second ODI will be played at the same venue on Wednesday.