WI wins at Kingston, Jamaica... India loses

I had posted on how a confident and resurgent India with WC 2011 and Champions Trophy in their kitty is facing the once mighty WI in their backyard.

Yesterday, India crawled to 229 which was hauled with some difficulty by West Indies who lost 9 wickets ~ it required a 10-run stand for the last wicket in front of a nervous full house to end India's nine-match winning streak in international cricket.  WI kept India under leash throughout and perhaps an indication as to how much teams have forgotten phasing their innings in longer format [50 overs !!]  Windies had a new Captain who many doubted would ever make it to team in longer format…. The IPL find… Kieron Pollard…  Many keep saying that Dinesh Karthik  is much more accomplished keeper but he was found wanting when Johnson Charles strolled down the wicket. What should have been a stumping to make it 198 for 8 went for what was adjudicated four runs.

India felt Dhoni’s absence. Stand-in captain Virat Kohli admitted that he missed the vast experience of Mahendra Singh Dhoni during pressure situation against West Indies as India lost a close encounter by one wicket in their first match of the Tri-Series. Dhoni, who suffered from cramps while batting didn’t come out to field and it was Kohli who led the side.  Kohli stated that the pitch behaved differently when WI batted…. Pollard said that the main goal was to go to Trinidad with two wins and he is happy that they have been able to achieve that.

You may not heard much of him and he was not to be seen around in IPL – still Johnson Charles made a good 97 ending up the Man-of-the-match. Charles smashed eight fours and four sixes off 100 balls and had a fourth-wicket stand of 116 with Darren Bravo to lift the hosts after they had slipped to 26-3 in pursuit of India’s 229-7 off 50 overs.  Umesh Yadav bowled a good spell ripping through the top order – ending with 3-43.   For once Shikhar Dhawan failed. 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar