Sarwan, Bravo star in consolation win
A spirited batting effort led by old workhorse Ramnaresh Sarwan and young Darren Bravo gave West Indies a consolation seven wicket win in the last ODI at Sabina park to narrow the overall margin of defeat to 3-2. The hopes of the home side had diminished after Sarwan retired hurt due to cramps but Bravo came to the party with a batting display that would have made even celebrating-in-the-stands Chris Gayle proud. This after the Windies bowlers restricted India to a manageable total through aggressive bowling in the slog overs.
West Indies began the pursuit of 252 in a sluggish manner, struggling to get away the Indian pacers. Mishra was snapped by Vinay Kumar who was playing his first match of the series early. His partner, Barath was leading a charmed life, two of his catches were grassed by Virat Kohli but an Amit Mishra googly got better of him. At 53 for two in the sixteenth over, the chase was going nowhere and India looked favorites to wrap the series 4-1. But, Sarwan had other ideas. He played the waiting game, milking the slow bowlers for singles before cashing in at the right moment. The flood gates opened when he deposited part-time spinner Suresh Raina for a six and a four off consecutive balls in 33rd over. Bravo followed that with two successive boundaries in the next over off Ishant Sharma to give open a window for his team.
However, there was a twist when tired looking Sarwan was forced to limp off the field due to cramps for 75 and it fell on the young shoulders of Bravo to take his team home. He chose the batting powerplay to launch an assault on India’s premier bowlers, leggie Mishra and R Ashwin. Both of them were pummeled for a couple of sixes each in the first two overs as an assured looking India began to panic. Bravo launched Vinay Kumar into orbit in the next over before he was dismissed for a brilliant 86. At this point, the home team still needed 39 and with hitters like Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard out in the middle it was just a matter of few balls hitting the bat. When the final run was hit, Chris Gayle danced in the stands with a new fancy hair do.
Earlier, Indian batting just tailed away in the slog overs but two good partnerships led by Virat Kohli ensured that the visitors still had a decent total on the board. Kohli’s knock of 94 against a charged bowling attack on a relatively difficult track was vital for India to get to a respectable total of 251. That apart, the Windies on the whole did a decent job in the field with the ball and their fielding effort at times ordinary had couple of stunning catches as well.After put into bat, Indian openers were from the very start troubled by the lively pace and bounce of Kemar Roach but the first breakthrough came through a brisk short deliver from Andre Russell, Anthony Martin taking a spectacular catch at square-leg. However, Roach had his man as a struggling Dhawan was caught in the slips with the team total reading 21 for 2 in seven overs.
In came Virat Kohli, one of India’s most consistent batsman in recent times and he did a fabulous job with a knock that had the right mix of caution and aggression required in such a situation. From the very beginning his focus was to put bad balls away and rotate the strike on other deliveries. Even with this strategy, his strike didn’t fall back as runs came pretty quickly. Manoj Tiwary, batting at number four, came out with an aggressive mindset, Sammy was carted over cow-corner but he didn’t last long falling for run-a-ball 22. The 58 run stand between Kohli and Tiwary undid the early inroads made by the Windies pacers.
If Kohli’s first effort was a damage control exercise, the next partnership for sure laid a solid platform for a late order flourish that would have pushed India over 300 but that was not to be. The two stylish right-handers, Kohli and Rohit Sharma batted with lot of poise to add 110 for the fourth wicket at a healthy rate. The latter in the process completed yet another half-century in the series. Just when Kohli looked set for a well-deserved ton, a fatal error in judgment cost him dear, he fell for 94 caught short by an accurate throw from substitute Ronnie Sarwan. And, that started the slide for India, batsmen came out to hit the ball out of Sabina Park, instead went back to the pavilion in a hurry. Skipper Suresh Raina’s poor short selection was the reason for his dismissal yet again, the well-set Rohit Sharma was castled by Martin as he went for a wild slog early in the batting powerplay.
India lost three more wickets in the powerplay; Yusuf Pathan fell for 30 when more was expected from the big-hitter, Amit Mishra’s shimmy down the track was no match to Russell’s fiery bowling and a heave by Vinay Kumar lobbed to the wicketkeeper. When the impressive all-rounder, Russell cleaned up Ishant Sharma the home team were more than happy to be chasing 252 with 15 balls still left in the Indian innings. The good thing for Windies though was that they managed to pick up the last seven wickets for just 62 runs. Among the bowlers, Russell was the star with a four wicket haul and was well supported by Roach (2-52) and the economical Martin who conceded 39 off ten overs even while bowling at the death.
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