Centuries by Virat Kohli and captain Shubman Gill and stellar bowling by spinner Kuldeep Yadav helped India pummel West Indies by eight wickets in the opening match of their One Day International series here on Sunday.
Their efforts overshadowed a heroic effort by an injured Justin Greaves, whose maiden ODI century looked set to take the Windies to a mammoth total.
Instead, Yadav’s four-wicket haul transformed the complexion of the match after the West Indies got off to a blistering start at Greenfield International Stadium, with his effort restricting them to 295 for seven in 50 overs.
Kohli then bludgeoned an unbeaten 139 off just 88 balls with nine sixes and 10 fours – his 55th ODI century – while a more reserved Gill needed 108 balls for his 110, to power the home side to 300 for two in only 41.4 overs.
The Windies would have been eyeing a total in excess of 350 after openers John Campbell and Greaves gave them a perfect start during a 135-run partnership in 19 overs.
Greaves was electric from the start, driving pacer Nitish Kumar Reddy for four boundaries – including three in succession – in the day’s second over.
He survived a close call two overs later when his thick edge off speedster Gurnoor Brar just evading a diving Rohit Sharma at first slip.
Campbell took a while to get going, but he switched gears when spinner Ravindra Jadeja was introduced into the attack in the ninth over, hitting him for a four and two successive sixes, to see the Windies motor to 78 without loss after nine oversGreaves was first to his half century, reaching it in 42 balls by cutting spinner Naman Dhir to the point boundary for four, to also take the Windies past 100.
Campbell subsequently reached his 50 off 49 balls by slicing Jadeja behind third man for a four and following it up with a quick single through the onside.
By then, it was obvious Greaves was in some discomfort as he visibly limped while running between the wickets.
Yadav drew first blood for India when he had Campbell caught at short fine leg for 62 off 60 balls, with his attempted sweep ballooning in the air for Prasidh Krishna to take the catch.
Keacy Carty never looked settled during his knock of 13 off 31 balls and it came as no surprise when he miscued a pull off Krishna straight into the hands of mid on to leave the score 176 for two in the 31st over.
Yadav then prised out the wicket of captain Shai Hope for 12 with the score on 195, before Greaves reached his first-ever ODI ton off 104 balls by driving Jadeja through the offside for a single.
Greaves was trapped lbw by Yadav in the next over for 101 off 108 balls, inclusive of 12 fours, with the spinner also dismissing Jewel Andrew for a first ball duck to put India in the driver’s seat at 198 for five in the 36th over.
Roston Chase and Amir Jangoo added 52 runs for the sixth wicket, and despite Jangoo’s unbeaten 58 off 43 balls, the West Indies fell short of a competitive total.
Yadav ended with 4-40 and Krishna 2-60.
India’s dependable opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Gill gave them a decent start by putting on 74 runs inside 12 overs.
The Windies should have dismissed Gill when he had scored just 11, but substitute fielder Keemo Paul spilled a regulation catch at cover off the bowling of pacer Jayden Seales.
It was an opportunity they would live to regret as Gill romped to his 10th ODI century and after Sharma was dismissed for 32, he shared a 151-run partnership with Kohli that decided the contest.
After reaching his half century by hitting Alzarri Joseph for six, Kohli reached another milestone by getting to 15, 000 ODI runs by pulling Joseph to the deep midwicket boundary, to join countryman Sachin Tendulkar as the only other player to do so.
Shortly after reaching his ton, Gill holed out in the deep trying to hit Chase out of the ground, but by then the match was over with India in total control at 225 for two after 34 overs.
From thereon, it was the Kohli show as he smashed boundaries all around the ground on the way to an unbeaten, sensational century that gave his side a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
(CMC)
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