New low for Windies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India, (CMC):

The West Indies produced their worst batting performance against India in a One Day International to hand the home side an emphatic nine-wicket win and help them wrap up the five-match series 3-1 at Greenfield Stadium here yesterday.

In what was scheduled to be a day/night contest, India wrapped up the match well before dark after dismissing the Windies for 104 in 31.5 overs.

It was the visitor's lowest ever ODI score against India.

The home side, led by a brisk half-century from the in-form Rohit Sharma and an unbeaten knock of 33 from captain Virat Kohli, motored to 105 for one in 14.5 overs, to wrap up the contest even before the scheduled break.

The lone hiccup in the run chase came in the first over when Shikhar Dhawan lost his wicket, his inside edge crashing into middle stump off the bowling of Oshane Thomas to leave India 6 for one.

Thomas was unlucky not to have dismissed Kohli when he was just eight, as captain Jason Holder put down a regulation catch at first slip.

The Indian captain then showed his appreciation for the lifeline off the very next ball by thumping Thomas through cover for four.

Luck wasn't on Thomas' side as the burly fast bowler also had Sharma caught behind off a no-ball.

No-nonsense mood

After that, Sharma adapted a no-nonsense mood driving Thomas back over his head for six and then pulling Holder's first ball of the 11th over to the boundary to bring up the 50-run partnership. He followed that up by lifting him over midwicket for six - his 200th in ODIs- off the next ball as they rushed to 62-1.

Keemo Paul was too dispatched for consecutive boundaries by Sharma, who eventually brought up his 50 off 52 balls to record his 37th ODI half-century.

The outcome of the match had virtually been decided very early, thanks mainly to another inept showing with the bat by the West Indies and a four-wicket haul from spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

While only three Windies' batsmen managed to score in double figures, Jadeja accounted for key dismissals in the middle and lower order to ensure that the visitors would not recover from their horrific start.

The visitors never recovered from the early losses of Kieran Powell (0) and Shai Hope (0) which saw them slump to 2-2.

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES

K. Powell c Dhoni b Kumar 0

R. Powell c Dhawan b Ahmed 16

+S. Hope b Bumrah 0

M. Samuels c Kohli b Jadeja 24

S. Hetmyer lbw b Jadeja 9

*J. Holder c Jadhav b Ahmed 25

F. Allen c Jadhav b Bumrah 4

K. Paul c Rayudu b Yadav 5

D. Bishoo not out 8

K. Roach c Jadhav b Jadeja 5

O. Thomas lbw b Jadeja 0

Extras (lb1, w6) 7

Total (all out, 31.5 overs) 104

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3- 36, 4-53, 5-57, 6-66, 7-87, 8-94, 9-103, 10-104.

Bowling: Kumar 4-1-11-1, Bumrah 6-1-11-2, Ahmed 7-1-29-2, Jadeja 9.5-1-34-4, Yadav 5-1-18-1.

INDIA

R. Sharma not out 63

S. Dhawan b Thomas 4

*V. Kohli not out 33

Extras (lb1, nb1) 2

Total (1 wkt, 14.5 overs) 105

Fall of wickets: 1-6.

Bowling: Roach 5-2-13-0, Thomas 4-0-33-1, Paul 2-0-22-0, Holder 1-0-15-0, Bishoo 1.5-0-16-0, Allen 1-0-5-0.

Result: Indian won by nine wickets.

Toss: West Indies.

Series: India won the five-match series 3-1.

Player-of-the-Match: Jasprit Bumrah.

Man-of-the-Match: Ravindra Jadeja.

Player-of-the-Series: Rohit Sharma.

Man-of-the-Series: Virat Kohli.

Umpires: P Wilson, A Chaudhary.