Windies lose 3rd rain-ruined ODI by six wickets

Saturday, November 21, 2009 9:29 AM

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Saturday, July 04, 2009

GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC) - India slammed 11 runs off the last over as they stunned West Indies by six-wickets in the rain-marred third Digicel One-Day International to take an impregnable 2-1 lead in the four-match series yesterday.

West Indies batsman Runako Morton (right), drives for the boundary off India's bowler Ashish Nehra (left), during the third One-Day International cricket match at Beausejour Cricket Ground in Gros-Islet, St Lucia, yesterday. (Photo: AP)

Chasing a revised target of 159 off 22 overs under the Duckworth/Lewis Method, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni carted fast bowler Jerome Taylor's second ball of the final over mid-wicket for six to leave India needing four runs from as many balls, and they scampered the remaining runs to win with a ball to spare.

Dhoni finished unbeaten on 46 from 34 balls to earn the Man-of-the-Match honour and ensure that tomorrow's final ODI would be must-win for the Windies.

Sent in to bat after losing the toss at the scenic Beausejour Stadium, West Indies were harassed by the bothersome rain and eventually finished 186 for seven after the match was reduced to 27 overs per-side.

The weather, which caused a two-hour delay at the start and forced an initial reduction to 41 overs, returned again mid-way through the innings to cause a further reduction to 27 overs.

Ramnaresh Sarwan top-scored for the Windies with 62 from 59 balls while skipper Chris Gayle bludgeoned 27 from 14 balls with six fours at the top of the order.

Left-armer Ashish Nehra claimed three for 21 to be India's best bowler and was well supported by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh who finished with two for 35.

In pursuit of 195 under the D/L Method, India got off to a merry start when Denesh Karthik and Gautam Gambhir put on an entertaining 84 off 73 balls.

Karthik stroked a top score of 47 from 43 balls including five fours and a six while Gambhir's 44 needed just 38 balls and contained two boundaries.

India seemed poised to run away with the game without losing a wicket but Rampaul's direct hit from point in the 13th over changed the scenario for West Indies.

Rain at 95 for one in the 14th over gave India a revised target of 159 and Dhoni then held the innings together despite the loss of three more wickets, to carry his side home in a thrilling finish.

Needing 16 from the last two overs, medium pacer Dwayne Bravo bowled a frugal over which cost five to swing the pendulum the Windies way.

Gayle then gambled with Taylor, whose previous three overs had cost 29 overs, but the move proved costly as the right-arm pacer could not contain Dhoni.

Earlier, batting first for the first time in the series, Gayle scored all 27 runs in dominating his opening stand with Runako Morton who struggled for 22 off 34 balls.

The left-handed Jamaican smashed a pair of boundaries from the innings' first over sent down by fast bowler Ishant Sharma and took another brace of fours from the right-armer's next over, as West Indies got off to a flying start.

He had clattered Nehra for two boundaries in the fourth over of the innings when the rain intervened for the second time forcing the players from the field.
When play finally resumed, Gayle fell to the first ball, caught at the wicket swishing at Nehra.

Scoreboard

West Indies Innings
Chris Gayle c wk Dhoni b Nehra 27
Runako Morton st Dhoni b Harbhajan 22
Ramnaresh Sarwan run out (Gambhir/Dhoni) 62
Shivnarine Chanderpaul c Nehra b Yusuf Pathan 15
Dwayne Bravo c wk Dhoni b Nehra 14
Darren Bravo b Nehra 21
Denesh Ramdin not out 14
Jerome Taylor c Ishant Sharma b Harbhajan 1
Extras: (7lb, 2w, 1nb) 10
TOTAL: (for seven wickets) 186
Overs: 27.
Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-78, 3-125, 4-135, 5-170, 6-173, 7-186.
Did not bat: David Bernard, Sulieman Benn, Ravi Rampaul.
Bowling: Ishant Sharma 5-0-35-0, Ashish Nehra 5-1-21-3 (1w), RP Singh 5-0-34-0, Harbhajan Singh 5-0-35-2, Yuvraj Singh 2-0-19-0 (1nb), Rohit Sharma 1-0-7-0, Yusuf Pathan 4-0-28-1 (1w).

India Innings
(Original D/L target of 195 off 27 overs was reduced to 159 off 22 overs after rain)
Dinesh Karthik run out (Rampaul) 47
Gautam Gambhir c wk Ramdin b Benn 44
MS Dhoni not out 46
Yuvraj Singh c Darren Bravo b Bernard 2
Rohit Sharma c Bernard b Dwayne Bravo 11
Yusuf Pathan not out 1
Extras: (4lb, 3w, 1nb) 8
TOTAL: (for four wickets) 159
Overs: 21.5.
Fall of wickets: 1-84, 2-109, 3-117, 4-148.
Did not bat: Harbhajan Singh, Abhishek Nayar, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra.
Bowling: Jerome Taylor 3.5-0-39-0 (1w), Ravi Rampaul 4-0-26-0 (1nb), Dwayne Bravo 4-0-27-1, David Bernard 3-0-21-1 (2w), Sulieman Benn 5-0-31-1, Chris Gayle 2-0-11-0.
Result: India won by 6 wickets (D/L system)
Series: Inida leads 2-1.
Toss: India.
Umpires: Nigel Llong (England), Clyde Duncan (Guyana).
Third Umpire: Goaland Greaves (St Vincent).
Match Referee: Chris Broad (England).

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