India thump Windies

Port-of-Spain: India produced a strong all-round performance to thrash West Indies by 105 runs in the second One-Day International (ODI) at the Queen's Park Oval Stadium here 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.Put into 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 for the loss of five wickets. In reply, the hosts could only manage 205/6 in their allotted 43 overs.
India now leads the five-match series 1-0. The first ODI-which was also held at this very same venue-had to be abandoned due to heavy rain.

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.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.The West Indies never really recovered from here.
Earlier, India rode on a strong batting performance from the top-order to post a strong total.

Rahane spearheaded the Indian innings with 103 runs off 104 balls. Kohli plundered 87 runs off 66 deliveries with four boundaries and an equal number of sixes. Dhawan scored 63 runs off 59 balls. The West Indies bowlers -- specially the pacers -- did themselves no favour by giving away as many as 13 extras which included five no-balls and four wides.

Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan put together an opening stand of 114 runs in 18.2 overs to give a Indians a solid start. After Dhawan was stumped off the bowling of off-spinner Ashley Nurse, Kohli joined Rahane in the middle and the duo proceeded to continue the good work with a steady 97-run partnership.

Rahane completed his century in style, hitting pacer Miguel Cummins to the cover boundary. The Mumbai was dismissed almost immediately after reaching three figures when he hit out at a Cummins delivery which was too close to the stumps and cramped him for room.

The ball kissed the stumps and dislodged one of the bails on its way to wicket-keeper Shai Hope.
Rahane smashed 10 boundaries and two sixes during his stint at the crease. The Indians lost a couple of quick wickets after that as the momentum of the innings seemed to be falling off a bit.

Brief scores: India 310/5 in 43 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 103, Virat Kohli 87, Shikhar Dhawan 63, Alzarri Joseph 2/73) bt West Indies 205/6 (Shai Hope 81, Kuldeep Yadav 3/50, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/9).