50 overs West Indies 260 for 5 (Samuels 58, Sammy 41*, Russell 40*) v India
It took Darren Sammy and Andre Russell 5.4 overs of mayhem to undo an afternoon of impressive work from India, and leave the hosts chasing a tricky 261 to take the series. The pair came together after Ravindra Jadeja pulled off an outfield catch for the ages to remove Kieron Pollard, West Indies' most dangerous batsman on paper. Sammy and Russell proceeded to test that assumption with a partnership of delightful ferocity that yielded 79 in all, and 52 off the last three overs, giving West Indies a chance to win their fourth win in five visits to Ahmedabad.
Until the Sammy-Russell show, West Indies' innings followed a rather strange progression. Seam and swing weren't supposed to be part of the agenda on a sweltering afternoon in Ahmedabad, but someone forgot to tell India's fast bowlers. The top order had to contend with away seamers from Vinay Kumar, pace and swing from Umesh Yadav, and a raft of indippers from Abhimanyu Mithun. They chose caution over valour, and were restricted to a slow start, before India's spinners backed up the seamers well, as India kept winning the big moments. The best batsman on display, Marlon Samuels, exited at the start of the batting Powerplay. The man most likely to assist him, Darren Bravo, was forced to retire hurt with a hamstring strain. The innings was faltering badly when Jadeja's brilliance ended Pollard's stay. The tide was about to turn, though.
West Indies' cause was aided by the inexperience in the Indian ranks as Yadav and Mithun delivered despicable lengths in the slog. Sammy wound up for the fun by redirecting Vinay for two fours in the 47th over, before Russell carted Yadav for a monster six in the next over. Next, Sammy turned his attention towards Mithun, scything a wide ball, and hammering a length delivery for fours. He then unfurled two sixes dripping with typical Caribbean audacity, on either side of the wicket - flat-batting a wide ball over cover, before merrily whiplashing a full toss on the pads over midwicket - to take 23 off the over. Russell then went ballistic in the last over, drilling a near yorker down the ground and fore-handing a length ball for fours, before teeing off towards the press box, as life came a full circle for Yadav.
Full report to follow ...
25 overs West Indies 93 for 2 (Samuels 46*, Bravo 23*) v India
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Seam and swing weren't supposed to be part of the agenda on a sweltering afternoon in Ahmedabad, but someone forgot to tell India's fast bowlers. West Indies' top order had to contend with away seamers from Vinay Kumar, pace and swing from Umesh Yadav, and a raft of indippers from Abhimanyu Mithun. They chose caution over valour, and were restricted to a slow start, but had wickets in hand to shift gears in the second half of their innings.
With the India selectors expected to meet later to pick Praveen Kumar's replacement for the Australia tour, Vinay and Mithun - who came on first-change - had an extra incentive to impress. Both of them made early incisions in their opening spells, but Umesh Yadav, already booked on the flight to Australia, was once again the most captivating bowler on view.
Vinay started off with a series of sprightly away seamers, and Lendl Simmons succumbed early to one of them, edging loosely through to Parthiv Patel. Thereafter, Yadav methodically tied down Danza Hyatt and Marlon Samuels, and in the process revealed a new dimension to his bowling. Having caught the eye with pace in the previous games, Yadav chose to drop his speed a few times and let the ball float and curve in the air. He squared up both Hyatt and Samuels with drastic swing, while Vinay worked away with seam.
Hyatt was mostly shot-less in his troubled stay as a make-shift opener, with a sparkling cover drive and a mow over midwicket standing out amidst several meek pushes to cover. His listless innings ended in listless fashion, as he squeezed an inswinger from Mithun that was heading harmlessly down the leg side, through to Parthiv. Mithun's average pace was in the mid-to-high 120s, and his inability to get the ball to straighten reduced his threat.
As has been his method in recent times, Samuels chose to counter the movement with an outrageously open stance deep in his crease. He opened up against Mithun, lofting him over mid-off and flaying him through point for successive fours, but receded into his shell until Yadav came on for a second spell in the bowling Powerplay. He heaved successive length balls in the 19th over through the leg side for a six and a four, before crashing a misdirected slower ball through point. West Indies took 16 off that over to finally give the innings some semblance of momentum.
Darren Bravo looked at ease against spin, but was struggling with a left hamstring niggle that affected his mobility. In the 22nd over, R Ashwin fluffled a run-out chance from about ten yards away from the stumps, with Bravo stranded mid-pitch. It was an important reprieve, given the lack of batting pedigree in West Indies' line-up.
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