West Indies 205 for 9 (S Hope 51, K Hope 46, Shami 4-48, Umesh 3-53) v India
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01:28
‘I’m a proper allrounder’ – Pandya
India’s spinner choked the middle of the West Indies innings in the middle and the fast bowlers followed up with wickets to restrict West Indies to 205. The hosts did win the last match with a total smaller than this, but this pitch was quicker than the last one, which pointed to an easier chase that the last one.
Kyle Hope and Evin Lewis made a promising start to the innings, scoring 39 for the first wicket in 8.2 overs, the Hope brothers continued the good work in a 37-run stand, but Umesh Yadav made a comeback with two quick strikes to set the stage for the spinners’ hold on the batting. In all they bowled 24 overs for 76 runs, with Kedar Jadhav taking one wicket.
Jason Holder tried to break through with some intent and clean striking, but once he fell for 36 off 34, leaving West Indies at 163 for 5 in the 40th over, they were always struggling to get a fighting total. In the middle of the innings there was an 11-over spell without a boundary, and then after Holder’s fall, West Indies managed just two more boundary, which were incredibly their first ones of the series in overs after the 40th.
The start was different. The ball came on, Umesh was erratic, and the top order took toll. K Hope cut and punched Umesh into the off side with relish before picking him on the leg side when he overcompensated. Lewis found mid-off when hitting an aerial shot off Hardik Pandya, but the Hope brothers kept the momentum going. At 3-0-22-0, Umesh was taken out of the attack, and was brought back soon after the fielding restrictions were taken off. He bowled two overs for four runs, then K Hope attacked him with two boundaries and fell while going for a third. The ball was short enough, but the batsman failed to clear short midwicket.
Umesh cashed in on that break with a full and straight delivery to send Roston Chase back first ball. Just like that, West Indies needed to bat cautiously. No liberties were taken against spin, who have been hard to play for them. Ravindra Jadeja found turn, which will give West Indies some hope, and Kuldeep Yadav remained difficult to negotiate for them. Jadhav’s four overs proved to be the bonus, with his low round-arm non-turning slow offbreaks, accounting for a frustrated Jason Mohammed.
Walking in at 115 for 4 in the 31st over, Holder used his long reach to put the spinners off their rhythm. He hit four fours and a six off Pandya, but when he went to hit Shami straight down the ground he found an agile Shikhar Dhawan at long-on. The going was tough for West Indies after that. It was only two sixes in the last two overs from Rovman Powell that pushed West Indies past 200.
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo