Rahane’s Century Guides India to 105-Run Win Over West Indies

After posting a total of 310/5, India restricted West Indies to 205/6 in the 43 overs a side match.

India produced a strong all-round performance to thrash West Indies by 105 runs in the second ODI at the Queen's Park Oval Stadium in Port of Spain on Sunday.

The match had to be reduced to 43 overs a side after a long spell of rain forced the start to be delayed.

Asked to bat first, a century by opener Ajinkya Rahane and half-centuries by skipper Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan helped India post a challenging total of 310/5.

In reply, the hosts could only manage 205/6 in their allotted 43 overs.

As the first ODI was abandoned due to rain, India now lead the five-match series 1-0.

Shai Hope was the only West Indies batsman who showed some sort of application with 81 runs off 88 deliveries. But the rest of the West Indies batsmen were not really up to the task.

There was a brief period of some fight by the home side when wicketkeeper batsman Shai Hope (81) and Evin Lewis (21) had a 89-run stand for the third wicket but once that partnership was snapped, the West Indians were happy to bat out their innings.

Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 3/50.

Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was exceptional, giving away only nine runs in his five overs while clinching two top order wickets.

The West Indies innings was doomed from the start with Bhuvneshwar getting Kieran Powell caught behind off the third ball of the opening over without a single run on the board.

The hosts into further trouble in the third over when Hardik Pandya pulled off an excellent catch at backward point to send back Jason Mohammed and hand Bhuvneshwar his second wicket.

Put into bat, India dashed West Indies hopes of any early breakthrough on a damp-looking pitch as they negotiated the initial overs without losing any wicket before launching on the erratic home side bowlers to post a big total after the match was reduced to 43-over a side due to rain.

Rahane (103) and his opener partner Dhawan (63) laid a strong foundation with a 114-run stand and despite a bit of a wobble in the middle overs, India went past 300 with captain Virat Kohli stamping his class with a 66-ball 87 later in the innings.

After Sunday's total, India became the side who have hit maximum number of 300-plus scores in an innings, as they reached the mark for the 96th time, overtaking Australia who had made over 300 runs 95 times.

Rahane, who also had hit 62 in the abandoned first match, had 10 fours and two sixes in his 104-ball knock before he was out in the 34th over. He also shared 97 runs for the second wicket with Kohli, who hit four boundaries and four sixes in his aggressive innings.

Senior batsman Yuvraj Singh, however, continued with his struggle as he fell for just 14 from 10 balls while Hardik Pandya was the other Indian to fall cheaply for just 4.

The West Indies bowlers lacked discipline and bowled too many loose and short deliveries. The Indian batsmen were never troubled in any way during their innings.

Dhawan and Rahane raced to the 50-run mark in the eighth over with the help of seven fours and a six. Rahane hit pacer Alzarri Joseph for a huge six in the third over before Dhawan sent Holder for two boundaries in the next over.

Holder himself and his new ball partner Joseph struggled to get the right line and the West Indies captain was again punished by Dhawan for three boundaries in the eighth over as India reached to the 50-run mark.

Dhawan gave the same treatment to Joseph the same treatment as he hit three boundaries in the 12th over and then raised his 21st ODI fifty two overs later. Dhawan had hit a 92-ball 87 in the abandoned first match.

Dhawan, however, could not capitalise on his fine touch for a three-figure score as he got out in the 19th over. He was beaten completely by a flighted delivery of off-spinner Ashley Nurse and wicketkeeper Shai Hope effected an easy stumping.

Dhawan had 10 fours from 59 deliveries in his innings.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS.)

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