WI vs IND

Right then. India have clinched a thriller to take a one-nil lead in this three-match ODI series. Their nerves were tested alright with the West Indians treating this result as a win for them. Pretty sure they'd like the W next to their name rather than the L though. Pooran's side ticked a few boxes today but they'll be looking to build on this performance and end on the right side of the result in the upcoming games. Well, with that, we've reached the conclusion of this contest. This is Pratyush, signing off on behalf of Maanas and Rajarshi. We hope you enjoyed our coverage as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. Cheers and goodnight!

Nicholas Pooran: It feels like a win for us. It's bitter-sweet. We keep talking about batting fifty overs and we did that today. Coming up against the best team in the world, we did our best. Must give credit to the bowlers. We didn't get off to the best of starts. We spoke about restricting them to under 315. Akeal, Motie and Alzarri and everyone at the death did a good job. We ticked a few boxes today but it's sad to finish on the wrong side of the results. We believe in each other and ourselves. We believe we can do something special together and that's what I keep telling the team.  

Shikhar Dhawan is the Player of the Match. Here is what he has to say: It was a bit disapppiint to not get the hundred but I'm grateful for the 97. I really enjoyed that knock. It was holding a bit at the back it. It was holding a bit and it wasn't easy for the new batters. When me and Shreyas were batting, we knew we had to build a partnership and we did that well. There were a bit of nerves at the end. We didn't expect the game to get that close but we held our nerve. Those boundaries at fine leg could have changed the momentum. My discussion was to use the bigger side and try to use it as much as possible. They turned a few ones into twos which could have been runouts but that's okay. Everyday is not a perfect day but we keep on learning from these things.

Match summary:
West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl

India 1st Innings 308/7 (50 Overs)
Shikhar Dhawan 97(99), Gudakesh Motie 2/54 (10 overs)

West Indies 305/6 (50 Overs)
Kyle Mayers 75(68), Shardul Thakur 2/54 (8 overs)

India win by 3 runs.

The Indian bowlers provided a few looseners early on, but the West Indies openers, Shai Hope in particular, just wasn't able to hit the gaps. That caused him to play his pull shot to a delivery that wasn't there to be played to, and he had to depart early. Kyle Mayers was then joined by Shamarh Brooks, and they started to construct the run-chase. Mayers found the ropes with more frequency, which allowed Brooks to settle in. 

On a wicket that looked to aid spinners, Mayers showed tremendous patience and concentration to wait for the deliveries to come onto the bat and then punch them right through the gap. Seeing the turn Chahal was going to get, he didn't let the leg-spinner get on top of him, smashing him for a six and a boundary in his third over. Brooks struck a six on the up off Shardul Thakur the following over, and there was a feeling that the game was slipping away from the visitors, they needed to break the stand.

The fact that it took him that long was a teensy bit surprising, but the powers of the Lord were on display at the Sabina Park right when India needed it. Shardul Thakur hit the deck hard with a cross-seam delivery, the ball stuck on the surface, Brooks tried to clear square leg with a pull but found Shreyas Iyer in the deep. One brought two; Thakur found the edge of Mayers' bat in his next over itself as the left-hander needlessly chased after a wide one.

The West Indies skipper, Nicholas Pooran, then joined Brandon King, as this duo got in on the re-build job. The West Indies were gradually falling behind the required rate as Dhawan rotated his bowlers, utilizing them to the best effect. Pooran struck a couple of sixes and was just starting to warm-up to the task when he, too, had to depart, playing a rather needless hack to Siraj. Rovman Powell followed soon after, poking a leg-break from Chahal to first slip.

It was left to Brandon King to fight it out along with the lower-order. Akeal Hosein and him gradually shortened down the target before King departed trying to clear the longer part of the ground in Chahal's penultimate over. West Indies still have a final card to play; Romario Shepherd used his long handle to the best effect, finding the fence in conventional and unconventional ways, taking control of the chase all by himself towards the end.

India needed their pacers to step up at the death, and that was just what Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna did. While luck was on the West Indies' side with the french cuts and slices to the fence, both Siraj and Krishna executed most of their plans to the best effect. While Prasidh was dependent on his wide yorkers in the penultimate over, Mohammed Siraj used his change-ups and hit the blockhole brilliantly to seal the deal ultimately. Shepherd tried throwing him off by moving around in the crease, forcing an erratic wide down the leg side which was superbly stopped by Samson, but Siraj ultimately kept his nerve and delivered the knockout blow for the Men in Blue! India are 1-0 up in the series, both teams go again on Sunday!

Mohammed Siraj with ice in his veins and a smile on his face! India have pulled it off! The West Indies structured the run-chase as well as they could have, Romario Shepherd got them oh-so-close to the finishing line, but it is the inexperienced Indian pacers who get the job done at the death! India win by 3 runs! A successful feat for the people in India who stayed up with us until now, fourteen minutes to 3:30 in the morning to watch their team, a disappointing end to the day for the people who flocked into the Queen's Park Oval at the cusp of dusk at Port-of-Spain in hope of a stupendous West Indies win!

49.6 Mohammed Siraj to Romario Shepherd, NERVES OF STEEL FROM MOHAMMED SIRAJ! Ice in his veins, this lad. He's been so unfortunate with the yorker towards the backend of this innings but he nails another one to beat Shepherd for pace as the batter tried to clear his front leg. Too quick for him there as the ball goes through his legs. Heartbreak for the West Indies. So near, yet so far. Siraj holds his nerve. India clinch a nail-biter by 3 runs!

49.5 Mohammed Siraj to Romario Shepherd, EXCELLENT RUNNING! Siraj finds the block hole again and Shepherd bunts it down to long-off. Slightly lazy fielding perhaps from SKY but the West Indian pair have managed to get back for the second run. Four to tie. Six to win.

49.5 Mohammed Siraj to Romario Shepherd, wide. A crucial hand from Samson! Sprayed down the leg side and Samson has to put in the full stretched dive to save a certain boundary. Applauded by Siraj as well. 

49.4 Mohammed Siraj to Romario Shepherd, another one into the block hole to follow Shepherd, squeezed out to fine leg for a quick tap and return 

49.3 Mohammed Siraj to Romario Shepherd, FOUR! West Indies are two big hits away now! Another excellent yorker from Siraj but Shepherd's somehow managed to squeeze this one as he jams down on it. Nicked behind square and into the gap for a boundary. 

49.2 Mohammed Siraj to Akeal Hosein, into the block hole outside off-stump again. Hosein shuffled across for an attempted ramp but this one's deflected off his boot to short third man. Given as runs. That hardly matters at this stage though

49.1 Mohammed Siraj to Akeal Hosein, DOT BALL! Siraj holds his nerve to nail the wide yorker this time, Hosein can't get underneath it. Dot balls are like gold dust for India at this stage

15 needed off the last over! West Indies still in it, only just! Prasidh Krishna came back brilliantly having gone for an over-boundary first ball of the penultimate over; the wide yorkers were there, some change-ups were thrown in, Prasidh also hit the deck well, but was unfortunate for him that Shepherd got enough bat off the final ball to get four and keep the hosts in the hunt!

48.6 Prasidh Krishna to Romario Shepherd, FOUR! Pandemonium at the Queen's Park Oval. It's got so loud, it feels like the Windies have already got over the line. Hold your horses, folks! Full and wide outside the off-stump, Shepherd throws his bat at it and manages to slice it away into the third man boundary 

48.5 Prasidh Krishna to Akeal Hosein, finds the in-angling yorker into the pads, flicked out to deep square leg but it's only a single. Prasidh's having a word with Akeal. Not sure what that's about

48.4 Prasidh Krishna to Romario Shepherd, back of a length outside the off-stump, Shepherd looks to throw the kitchen sink at it again. Miscues his pull down to long-on and takes the single. Right Akeal. What have you got?