Amir Jangoo was one of three centurions for the West Indies team as they put on a dominant batting performance on this pitch to destroy India. Amir Jangoo came in at 4 and scored a scintillating 2nd ODI ton while captain Shai Hope scored his 20th ODI ton. Let’s not forget John Campbell, who made 101 off 68 balls and destroyed India in the power play. India were exposed brutally as West Indies posted 405/7 with Roston Chase & Co playing cameos.
India had a miserable day in the field. One man stood out, and that was Kuldeep Yadav with 2/65 in a 400+ game and got to 200 ODI wickets. Ravindra Jadeja and Gurnoor Brar picked up 2 wickets apiece, but they all went the distance as India now have to execute a record run chase to win this series. Advantage West Indies at the break.
John Campbell pulverises India in the mandatory power play of 10 overs
Put into bat first, John Campbell and Keacy Carty came out to open the batting for West Indies while Prasidh Krishna had the ball in hand for India. Campbell made his intentions clear as he leaned forward to carve it away over the top of the cover point fielder for a boundary. Debutant Auqib Nabi had the ball in hand from the other end. He overstepped, but the free hit yielded a dot ball. Carty then leaned forward and creamed it through the covers for a boundary.
Krishna continued as Campbell cleared his front leg and heaved it away over midwicket for a boundary. Nabi continued as Campbell was on a roll as he pressed forward and sliced it over backward point for a boundary. Nabi gifted 5 wides to the batting side. Campbell then pressed forward and pumped the ball over the top of extra cover for a boundary. Krishna continued as Carty shuffled across and flicked it away between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary.
Krishna gave India the opening breakthrough, removing Carty for 9 off 10 balls with 2 fours to his name, as the batter hit it to cover point, where Naman Dhir took an excellent catch, diving forward inches off the ground. Captain Shai Hope came out to bat next. Nabi continued as Hope leaned forward and pushed it past mid-off for a boundary. Hope was on a roll now as he leaned forward to hit it straight down the ground for a boundary past mid-on.
Krishna continued as Campbell was batting at another level with a straight shot down the ground over long-off for the maximum. The 50 came up for the West Indies in 6.1 overs. Campbell then heaved the ball away through deep backward square leg for a boundary. Campbell then rode the bounce and opened the bat face and dabbed it through gully and short third man for a boundary. Campbell then stood tall and pulled it away past wide mid-on for a boundary. 22 runs came off the 7th over of the innings bowled by Siraj.
Gurnoor Brar came into the attack next. Campbell took him on as he looked to whip it away leg side and got a top edge that went up in the air as the ball flew over deep fine leg for the maximum. Campbell reached his fifty in 29 balls, which was his second ODI fifty as well. Naman Dhir came into the attack next as Campbell got down on one knee and slog swept the ball over mid-on for a boundary.
Brar continued to bowl the final over of the power play. Campbell was like a rampaging river, simply unstoppable. Brar bowled a short ball as Campbell pulled it away over the top of midwicket for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between Hope and Campbell. Campbell stood tall and muscled the ball over deep midwicket for the maximum. At the end of the first power play of 10 overs, West Indies were flying high at 96/1 in 10 overs with Campbell unbeaten on 69 off 39 balls alongside captain Hope unbeaten on 12 off 12 balls. We now entered the middle phase of the game.
John Campbell falls after a blazing century; Shai Hope keeps the momentum going till the halfway stage of the game
Ravindra Jadeja came into the attack post the power play. Campbell took him on as he got down on one knee and nailed the slog sweep over midwicket for the maximum. The 100 came up for West Indies in 10.5 overs. Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack next. Campbell backed away for room and got it away through the midwicket region for a triple. Kuldeep then dropped a tough chance off his own bowling when Hope was batting on 15*.
Jadeja continued and gifted 5 wides as a bonus to the batting side. West Indies were 118/1 in 13 overs when early drinks were called with Campbell struggling a tad due to extreme heat and humidity out there. Kuldeep continued after the break as Campbell pressed forward and went over extra cover for the maximum. Jadeja continued and bowled a better over. Kuldeep continued and bowled a tight over.
Jadeja continued as the 100-run stand came up between Hope and Campbell. Hope then made room and went inside out over extra cover for a boundary. Kuldeep continued as Campbell reached a marvellous 2nd ODI hundred off just 65 balls. Kuldeep still kept things tight. Brar came back into the attack next and got India the breakthrough as Campbell fell for 101 off 68 balls with 9 fours and 5 sixes to his name, with Naman taking the catch in the deep. Amir Jangoo came out to bat next as he got the outside edge past the slips and away for a boundary at third man. The 150 came up for West Indies in 18.2 overs.
Naman Dhir came back into the attack next as Hope got another reprieve on 27* as Virat Kohli put down a sharp chance at short midwicket. West Indies reached 158/2 in 20 overs. Brar continued as Hope went after it with a flick of the wrists over midwicket for one bounce and over the ropes. Hope was not done yet as he flat-batted it over long-on for the maximum. Naman continued and bowled a better over. Brar continued as Jangoo creamed the drive through cover point for a boundary.
Naman Dhir continued as Hope reached yet another fifty in ODI cricket as this was his 33rd ODI fifty off 49 balls. Dhir conceded wides. Jadeja came back into the attack next. Jangoo rocked back and made room to crack the cut shot through covers for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between Hope and Jangoo. India and Jadeja wasted a DRS against Jangoo for LBW as it was a review in desperation. At the end of 25 overs, West Indies were 198/2 in 25 overs with Hope unbeaten on 52 off 53 balls while Jangoo was unbeaten on 23 off 20 balls. We were at the halfway stage of the game.
Shai Hope’s ton and Amir Jangoo’s power-packed innings powered West Indies into a commanding position
Naman Dhir continued as Jangoo drove it handsomely through extra cover and deep point for a boundary. The 200 came up for West Indies in 25.3 overs. Jangoo was getting into the groove as he rocked back and threaded the gap between point and short third man for a boundary. Jadeja continued as Hope got to the pitch of the ball and whipped it over midwicket for a boundary. Kuldeep came back into the attack as Jangoo rocked back and cut it between short third man and backward point for a boundary.
Jadeja continued as Hope was dropped on 61* as KL Rahul dropped a tough one coming up to the stumps. Jadeja conceded a few wides. Jangoo rocked back and made room to cut it past backward point for a boundary. Kuldeep continued and bowled a tight over as West Indies were 234/2 in 30 overs. Prasidh Krishna came back into the attack. Hope took him on as he stood tall and pumped it over deep midwicket for the maximum.
West Indies were 244/2 in 31 overs when we paused for the second Drinks Break of the match. Nabi came back into the attack next as Hope punished the loose ball by glancing it away to the fine leg fence for a boundary. The 100-run stand came up between the two players. Gurnoor Brar came back into the attack. Jangoo reached his half-century in 44 balls. His third in his ODI career, and second in this series. Hope then cleared his front leg and drove it through extra covers and mid-off for a boundary.
Naman came back into the attack and bowled a tight over. Jadeja returned to the bowling attack as Hope rocked back and pulled it away over deep forward square leg for the maximum. Naman Dhir continued and then twisted his ankle to go off the field. Nabi came to complete the over as Jangoo backed away and pulled it away over deep forward square leg for the maximum.
Brar came back into the attack next as Jangoo got inside the line and pulled it away over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Jangoo then got a ball on the pads as he flicked it away to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Nabi continued as the 150-run stand between Hope and Jangoo. Jangoo then lofted the ball over extra cover for a boundary. The 300 came up for West Indies in 37.2 overs.
Brar continued as the slower ball was bowled on the legs, and Jangoo flicked it over the top of short fine leg for a boundary. Brar delivered a wide ball while Jangoo pressed forward and lofted it through the line over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Jangoo then hung back and opened the bat face to punch it away over deep point for a boundary as India were horrible with the ball. Then the moment came for Hope as he completed his 20th ODI hundred with a flick past short fine leg for a boundary. He got there in 90 balls.
19 runs came off the 39th over. Kuldeep came to bowl the 40th over of the innings. Jangoo then moved to 99*. Kuldeep finally struck for India at the end of the 40th over as he removed Hope, the captain, for 104 off 94 balls with 8 fours and 3 sixes to his name as Nabi took the catch, with Kuldeep reaching his 200th ODI wicket. Sherfane Rutherford came out to bat next as the 40th over ended with West Indies at 329/3 in 40 overs with Jangoo unbeaten on 99 off 69 balls alongside Rutherford unbeaten on 0 off 0 balls. We now move into the death overs phase of the game.
Amir Jangoo falls after a superlative ton as West Indies power themselves to 405/7 in 50 overs
Gurnoor Brar continued as Jangoo got to his second ODI ton off 70 balls, as this was the third hundred by a West Indian player. Brar came back and removed Rutherford for a golden duck as he was caught in the deep. Roston Chase came out to bat next as a wide was conceded by the bowler. Kuldeep continued as Jangoo took him on as he stepped down the track and launched it over the bowler’s head for the maximum and then played the lofted drive between extra cover and long-off for a boundary. Jangoo managed a triple with an outside edge through to the third man fence as Jadeja saved a run for his side.
Jadeja continued and finally got a wicket to his name as he removed Jangoo for 114 off 77 balls with 13 fours and 3 sixes to his name as Gaikwad took the catch at backward point. Keemo Paul came out to bat next as Jadeja bowled a decent over. Kuldeep continued as Chase got onto the front foot and pumped it over the bowler’s head for a boundary. The 350 came up for West Indies in 43.2 overs.
Chase was in the groove as he smashed a drive through extra cover and long-off for a boundary. Nabi came back into the attack next as Roston Chase hit the drive straight down the ground for a boundary, with Rohit’s desperate dive at long-off turning out to be in vain. West Indies were 369/5 in 45 overs. Kuldeep then removed Paul for 3 off 8 balls as he got to his 200th ODI wicket, the second fastest after Shami to get to that mark. Alzarri Joseph came out to bat next and got off the mark soon as well.
Nabi continued as Chase got to the pitch of the ball and drilled it between extra cover and long-off for a boundary. Jadeja continued as Joseph used the pace of the bowler and tickled it past short fine leg for a boundary. He delivered a wide before dismissing Alzarri for 8 off 10 balls with one four to his name. Shamar Joseph came out to bat next and got off the mark with a maximum as he smoked it hard over long-off for the maximum.
Shamar survived a run out check at the non-striker’s end. Nabi continued and bowled a decent over as Kuldeep dropped Shamar when he was batting on 7* and the score at 396 while he was running back. Brar came to bowl the final over of the innings as Shamar edged the ball and reached for it, with the ball going away over Rohit at short third man for a boundary. The 400 came up for West Indies in 49.2 overs.
In the end, West Indies ended with a massive 405/7 in 50 overs, with Roston Chase unbeaten on 29 off 25 balls with 4 fours to his name alongside Shamar Joseph unbeaten on 14 off 8 balls with one four and one six to his name. 23 extras were given by the West Indies team.
It was a miserable bowling display by the Indian bowlers. Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/65 in 10 overs. Ravindra Jadeja finished with figures of 2/75 in 10 overs. Gurnoor Brar finished with figures of 2/96 in 10 overs. Prasidh Krishna finished with 1/45 in 5 overs. Auqib Nabi gave away 84 runs in 8.5 overs. Naman Dhir finished with 0/38 in 6.1 overs. This means that India’s target was a mammoth 406 runs to win in 50 overs to clinch the series 2-0 with a game to spare.
Who’s Winning, India or West Indies?
Despite losing the toss, West Indies have amassed a humongous score on the board. 400+ runs is a lot of runs on this pitch, and West Indies are firm favourites to level the series 1-1. It will take a special effort from the Indian batting, which is in form, to hunt this total down. West Indies have proper bowlers and runs on the board. The batting is there, but the runs seem insurmountable at this stage. India have to bat out of their skins to compete and let alone win it.
Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here.
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