Rain, India D(hon)isappoint West Indies

India (Shar)made a couple of changes to their playing eleven – Ravindra Jadeja and Praveen Kumar made way for One-day International debutant Abhishek Nayar and Ishant. The West Indies made no changes to the eleven that last played the Indians.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper and the player of the match, inserted the hosts. There was an interruption due to rain at the beginning of their innings, as a result of which the match was reduced to a 27-overs-a-side match.

The first Powerplay of the West Indies’ innings was between the first and the eighth over. Twenty-one balls into the match, there was another interruption due to rain. The West Indies had scored 27 without the loss of a wicket at that point. While Chris Gayle, their skipper, was batting on 27, Runako Morton hadn’t opened his account.

Gayle, whose 14-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Twenty-two balls into the match, he was caught by Dhoni. Ashish Nehra broke the 27-run stand.

The second Powerplay of the West Indies’ innings was between the ninth and the 12^th over. The West Indies scored 50 for the loss of a wicket off 8.1 overs (50 balls). India had conceded four extras at that point. Eventually, the second Powerplay of the West Indies’ innings was just an over – the ninth.

Fifty-five balls into the match, there was another interruption due to rain. The West Indies had scored 56 for the loss of a wicket at that point. While Morton was batting on a dozen, Ramnaresh Sarwan was batting on 13.

Fifty-seven balls into the match, there was another interruption due to rain. The West Indies had scored 57 for the loss of a wicket at that point. While Morton was batting on a dozen, Ramnaresh Sarwan was batting on 14.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 51 balls. While Morton’s contribution to the partnership was 22, Sarwan’s contribution to it was 24. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was four.

Morton, whose 34-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Fifty-three balls after Gayle’s D(hon)ismissal, he was stumped off the bowling of Harbhajan Singh, who turned 29 that day and celebrated it by breaking the 51-run partnership.

The West Indies scored 100 for the loss of a couple of wickets off 16 overs (98 balls). India had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, whose 14-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 15. Thirty-six balls after Morton’s dismissal, he was caught by Nehra. Yusuf Pathan broke the 52-run partnership.

Sarwan’s half-century – which included five boundaries and a six – came off 44 balls. The fourth-wicket pair put on 10. He faced 59 balls, eventually scoring 62. Fourteen balls after Chanderpaul’s dismissal, Gautam Gambhir and Dhoni ran him out.

The West Indies scored 150 for the loss of four wickets off 23.1 overs (142 balls). India had conceded nine extras at that point.

Darren Bravo, whose 15-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 21. Twenty-six balls after Sarwan’s dismissal, Nehra broke the 35-run stand. His half-Br(av)other, Dwayne, scored 14. His (Dho)nineteen-ball innings included a boundary. Five balls later, he was caught behind. Nehra broke the three-run stand.

Denesh, whose six-ball (Ramd)innings included a boundary and a six, scored 14. He was unbeaten. Jerome Taylor, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. An over after Dwayne’s dismissal, he was caught by Ishant. Harbhajan broke the 13-run stand.

India eventually conceded 10 extras. The West Indies scored 186 for the loss of seven wickets off 27 overs. Rohit Sharma had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he bowled a wicketless over. Yuvraj Singh, who bowled a couple of wicketless overs, conceded 19.

Ishant and R P Singh bowled five wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 35, the latter conceded 34. Pathan, who bowled four overs, conceded 28. He picked up a wicket. He picked up a wicket.

Harbhajan and Nehra bowled five overs apiece. While the former, who conceded 35, picked up a couple of wickets, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 21, picking up three scalps.

India’s target was revised to 159 off 22 overs. While the first Powerplay of India’s innings was between the second and the fifth over, the second was between the seventh and the 10^th over. India’s openers put on 50 off 6.5 overs (42 balls). The West Indies had conceded four extras at that point. While Dinesh Karthik was batting on 30, Gambhir was batting on 16.

A dozen overs into the chase, the only drinks break was taken. India had scored 84 without the loss of a wicket at that point. While Karthik was batting on 47, Gambhir was batting on 33. The former, whose 43-ball innings included five boundaries and a six, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Seventy-three balls into the chase, Ravi Rampaul ran him out.

Eighty-one balls into the match, there was another interruption due to rain. India had scored 95 for the loss of a wicket at that point. While Gambhir was batting on 37, Dhoni had a reason to be in seventh heaven. India scored 100 off 14.1 overs (86 balls). The West Indies had conceded four extras at that point.

Gambhir, whose 38-ball innings included two boundaries, eventually scored 44. Eighteen balls later, he was caught by Ramdin. Sulieman Benn broke the 24-run stand. Dhoni, whose 34-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and a six, eventually scored 46. He was unbeaten.

Yuvraj, who faced half-a-dozen boundaries, scored just a couple. Eleven balls later, he was caught by Darren. David Bernard broke the nine-run stand. Rohit, who faced nine balls, scored 11. Twenty-three balls later, he was caught by Bernard. Dwayne broke the 31-run stand.

Pathan, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. The West Indies had conceded eight extras at that point. India, who scored 159 for the loss of four wickets off 21.5 overs, won by half-a-dozen wickets with a ball to spare.

Gayle, who bowled two wicketless overs, conceded 11. Taylor, who bowled 3.5 wicketless overs, conceded 39. Rampaul, who bowled four wicketless overs, conceded 26.

Bernard, who bowled three overs, conceded 21. He picked up a wicket. Darren, who bowled four overs, conceded 27. He picked up a wicket. Benn, who bowled five overs, conceded 31. He picked up a wicket.

India led the four-match series 2-1.