A powerful show by Axar Patel in the second ODI helped India clinch the ongoing three-match series and take an unassailable 2-0 lead against hosts West Indies. The Shikhar Dhawan & Co. will now look to continue the momentum, and whitewash the series by 3-0, by winning the third and final ODI which is set to happen on July 27 at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain in Trinidad.

West Indies yet again came perilously close to defeating India, but were unable to defend their total of 311/6 as a remarkable cameo from Axar Patel helped the visitors cross the finish line, condemning the Windies to an eighth straight ODI loss. As the hosts’ batters continue to shine throughout this series, opener Shai Hope celebrated his 100th ODI for the West Indies with a century.

However, until and unless the bowlers pull up their socks to restrict India from scoring, they would keep facing a challenging time. Gudakesh Motie was replaced in the lineup by Hayden Walsh, however, Walsh only bowled three overs at an economy rate of 8.00 and went wicketless. Thus, the Windies might plan to reverse that move.

All-rounder Axar Patel‘s thrilling cameo of an unbeaten 64 off 35 deliveries brought India’s bench strength to the limelight once again in the recently concluded game. If Ravindra Jadeja hadn’t missed out on the game due to his injury, Patel might not have gotten the chance of making it to the XI. Patel played a match-winning knock and confirmed his place in the lineup.

Another such player, who impressed everyone was Sanju Samson, who portrayed the wicketkeeper-batter’s role in the absence of regular Rishabh Pant. For the second ODI, there was only one replacement made as pacer Avesh Khan replaced Prasidh Krishna in the lineup. However, Avesh struggled to create an impact with the ball and having won the series already, India might well be persuaded to give a debut cap to Arshdeep Singh.

Pitch Conditions

The match at The Queen’s Park Oval will be competitive because of the pitch, which equally encourages bowlers and batters. In both the games so far, both pacers and spinners made good use of the conditions, but the batters found it to be a little slow. After witnessing two back-to-back thrillers, the team batting first will have to post a target higher than 300 runs in order to win.

Playing Combinations for WI vs IND

West Indies

West Indies demonstrated gritty character in both ODIs but fell short in the final over in both the game, thereby losing it by the barest of margins. West Indies strengthened their weakness—their inability to bat for 50 overs—and conquered it to record significant totals.

Predicted Playing XI: Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Shamarh Brooks, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran (c and wk), Rovman Powell, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales

India

Having won the series, there are chances that India might call up a couple of players for their debut game. India has the option of playing Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had a good track record in 50-over games recently, and Arshdeep Singh, the sensational young bowler, and try them in the series finale.

Predicted Playing XI: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Siraj, Avesh Khan/Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

WI vs IND Head-to-Head

Played- 138 | West Indies- 63 | India- 69 | Tied- 02 | NR- 04

WI vs IND Broadcast Details

Match Timings- 7:00 PM IST

TV- DD Sports

Streaming- FanCode

WI vs IND Team Previews:

India (IND) will be up against the challenge of West Indies (WI) in the third and last fixture of the ODI series at Queen’s Park Oval. The second game of the series witnessed India pulling off a win in another thrilling encounter and taking an unassailable lead of 2-0. This game can witness Ravindra Jadeja making a comeback to the team, after recovering from the injury. The likes of Arshdeep Singh and Ishan Kishan can also find a place in this game. On the other hand, West Indies are not expected to make any changes and will play with their full strength.

WI vs IND Match Details:

West Indies vs India, 3rd ODI

Venue: Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad

Date & Time: 27th July at 7:00 PM IST and 9:30 AM Local Time

Live Streaming: FanCode

Live Telecast: Doordarshan (DD)

WI vs IND, 3rd ODI Pitch Report

The pitch has assisted the batters in a strong fashion in the first two ODIs, and the same is expected in this fixture as well. The team chasing down the score will have an advantage, of the relatively flat surface.

Injury News:

(will be added if there is any update)

Also Read: France’s Gustav McKeon becomes youngest men’s player to score a T20I century

WI vs IND, 3rd ODI, Probable Playing XIs:

India

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan

West Indies

Shai Hope (wk), Kyle Mayers, Shamarh Brooks, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran (c), Rovman Powell, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, Hayden Walsh

Top Picks for WI vs IND Dream11 Match:

Top Picks- Batters

Shreyas Iyer:

The experienced campaigner has set a proper platform for the team in posting or chasing a big score. He has 117 runs in 2 innings.

Shubman Gill:

The opening batter has been impressive in both the games with the knocks of 64 and 43 and would look to convert this into a triple figure.

Top Picks- All-Rounders

Kyle Mayers:

The all-rounder has been able to provide blistering starts to the Caribbean team in the ODI series. In the last game, he scalped two important wickets as well. He has 114 runs and 2 wickets to his name.

Top Picks- Bowlers

Shardul Thakur:

Thakur has been terrific at taking wickets in crunch moments. With 5 wickets in two appearances, he is the best bowler of the series.

Top Picks- Wicketkeeper

Shai Hope:

Hope completed his 13th hundred in his 100th ODI appearance and finally returned to form. He will certainly be the top pick for this game.

WI vs IND Must Picks Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for WI vs IND Dream11 Team for Fantasy Cricket:

Shai Hope (vc), Sanju Samson, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Kyle Mayers, Romario Shepherd, Shardul Thakur, Alzarri Joseph, Yuzvendra Chahal

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for WI vs IND Dream11 Team for Fantasy Cricket:

Shai Hope, Shubman Gill (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Nicholas Pooran, Shamarh Brooks, Kyle Mayers (c), Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Alzarri Joseph, Yuzvendra Chahal

WI vs IND Risky Captaincy Choices:

Sanju Samson:

The talented batter is a top-quality player but has displayed inconsistency to continue his momentum throughout his career.

Nicholas Pooran:

Pooran scored 74 in the second ODI and was terrific with his ball-striking abilities. However, he has not been consistent enough in international cricket.

Players you should avoid:

Hayden Walsh:

The spinner returned with figures of 0/24 in three overs in the last fixture and should be avoided for this game.

Click here to know who will win today’s match between West Indies and India?

Note: Updated Fantasy teams and Playing XIs of every match will be provided in our Telegram channel if the information is available.

Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

After winning two close encounters against the hosts West Indies, the final ODI for the visitors India is scheduled to take place on July 27 at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. The Shikhar Dhawan-led side has used its available resources to the best and is likely to try the players on the bench with the T20 World Cup coming up.

On the other hand, West Indies will be quite disappointed after not being able to finish off games despite having enough chances. Kyle Mayers and Shai Hope have performed quite well at the top of the order while Gudakesh Motie is likely to return to the XI in place of Hayden Walsh Jr. who looked in complete disarray in the last match.

WI vs IND Match Details

Venue: Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain

Date and Time: July 27, 7:00 PM

Telecast & Live Streaming: FanCode

WI vs IND Pitch Report

The two games so far at the venue have been quite high-scoring ones and the team batting first will need at least 320 to be on the safer side. The wrist spinners were taken to the cleaners in the previous game and it will be important to have wickets in the bank so that the death overs could be capitalized. The skipper winning the toss is likely to bowl first as chasing looks the easier option.

WI vs IND, 3rd ODI Probable Playing XIs:

West Indies:

Shai Hope (wk), Brandon King, Shamarh Brooks, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran (c), Rovman Powell, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd/Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales

India:

Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shubman Gill/Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson/Ishan Kishan (wk), Deepak Hooda, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan

WI vs IND Probable Top Performers

Probable best batter of the 3rd ODI match

Shikhar Dhawan:

Shikhar Dhawan missed out to score big in the previous game as he was dismissed off a flying catch from Kyle Mayers. However, the left-hander has been a run machine at the top of the order for India over the years in the format and will be looking to get to the three-figure mark. The skipper’s 97 in the first ODI was quite fantastic and he will be looking to lead from the front again.

Probable best bowler of the 3rd ODI match

Axar Patel:

Axar Patel bowled an economical spell in the previous game despite the pitch favouring the fast bowlers and he finished with 1 for 40 in his nine overs which included a maiden. His superb knock with the bat also earned him the Player of the Match award. However, he has a big role to play in the bowling lineup still. This will be a good chance for him to make a case for himself in the ODI setup after his stupendous innings with the bat.

Today’s Match Prediction: India to win the match

Also Check: Dream11 Team Prediction for WI vs IND

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.

In the last one-and-a-half decade or so, many batters have come up with innovative cricketing shots including the paddle scoop, switch hit, etc. Among them, there is a famous shot named the ‘Dilscoop’ which was introduced by the former Sri Lankan batting all-rounder Tillakaratne Dilshan. This is a no-look shot which is played by going down on one knee and making an attempt to ensure that it successfully beats the wicketkeeper to find the boundary.

However, promising Indian batter Shubman Gill got this shot horribly wrong in the second One Day International against the West Indies at Port of Spain in Trinidad on Sunday, July 24. While he did make a good attempt at going for the Dilscoop, he could not execute it properly which led to his downfall.

Shubman Gill needlessly loses his wicket after a good start

This happened in the 16th over of India’s stiff run chase of 312. On the fourth delivery bowled by Kyle Mayers, the batter attempted to execute the premeditated ‘Dilscoop’. He tried to play this shot by shuffling across the stumps. Unfortunately for him, a lack of timing meant that it was an unsuccessful attempt as the ball went straight back to the bowler who made no mistake in completing a return catch as a dejected Gill stood in disbelief before taking a long walk back to the pavilion.

Watch Shubman Gill’s awkward dismissal here:

Shubman Gill dismissal 😂🤣#WIvsIND #ShubmanGill

pic.twitter.com/noCV1tdQLZ

— CRICKET VIDEOS🏏 (@Abdullah__Neaz) July 24, 2022

This was a case of yet another wasted opportunity for Shubman Gill. The youngster needlessly ran himself out in the first game for a 53-ball 64 and even here he failed to capitalize after being well-set at the crease. He scored 43 runs off 49 balls including five fours and looked in great nick before this innovative shot cost him his wicket.

Even though India’s score read 66/2 after Gill’s dismissal, middle-order sensation Shreyas Iyer ensured that the visitors did not press the panic button from there on as he went on to score 63. He even got good support from wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson (54). Nonetheless, the star of the Indian run chase was Axar Patel who brilliantly held on to his nerves and came out on top scoring an unbeaten 64 off 35 deliveries as the Men in Blue crossed the finish line by two wickets in the final over to seal the ODI series.

India clinched an unprecedented 12th successive bilateral series victory against West Indies in a thrilling finish in the second ODI in Trinidad on Sunday, 24th of July. Axar Patel left the viewers gobsmacked with his scintillating power-hitting in the death overs of the match as India got over the line with two balls to spare. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for the series, appreciated his compatriots’ innings via a post on Twitter.

Axar Patel helped India record the third-highest chase in ODIs in the Caribbean as the Men in Blue scored 100 runs in the final ten overs. The Indian all-rounder entered the arena with India 205/5 in the 39th over and turned the match on its head with his maiden ODI half-century in just 27 deliveries. During his 64-run whirlwind innings, the southpaw sent five maximums out of the ground, the most by an Indian batter at no.7 or lower, breaking MS Dhoni’s 17-year-old record of three sixes.

The all-rounder’s outstanding match-winning knock garnered him the player of the match award and was praised by many cricketers and ex-cricketers on social media. India’s regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for the ODI series, was also in awe of the Gujarati-born cricketer’s astounding innings and wrote a message for him in his Twitter post. His post read, “Woah that was some performance from team India last night. Bapu badhu Saru che @akshar2026 @bcci.“

Woah 🤯 that was some performance from team India last night. Bapu badhu Saru che @akshar2026 @bcci

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) July 25, 2022

All-round Axar sink Nicholas Pooran’s West Indies

Earlier in the match, Axar helped India restrict the hosts to 311/6 as he returned with figures of 40/1 in his nine overs, the most economical of the Indian bowlers. And when the team needed his batting expertise during the mammoth chase, the all-rounder justified his selection in the squad with his 35-balls 64 and showed no signs of nerves while batting with the tail in a tense few final overs. 

With six runs required of the last three balls, the 28-year-old smashed Kyle Mayers for a towering six straight over his head to finish off the run chase in nonchalant style as India broke Pakistan’s record of most successive bilateral series wins against a side.

Having sealed the three-match series 2-0 already, India are likely to test their bench strength and give opportunities to other players who deserve chances for the upcoming third ODI against West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. India found a way out of trouble in both the games as West Indies gave the visitors a real scare and two different heroes arrived on the stage.

Axar Patel had a fantastic outing in the previous game and he showed his brutal power-hitting skills down the order with an unbeaten 35-ball 64 in crunch time when the team needed him the most. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan has rotated his bowlers wisely and has got the most out of his sixth bowling option in Deepak Hooda in both the games.

With the bat, except Suryakumar Yadav, the other batters in the top six have got runs, and Shreyas Iyer in particular has looked quite comfortable. Shubman Gill and Sanju Samson, finally have got runs to prove their talent in international cricket and will be hoping to end the series on a good note.

Meanwhile, here are 3 changes India might make for the 3rd ODI against West Indies.

1. Ruturaj Gaikwad – IN; Shubman Gill – OUT

Shubman Gill has looked solid in both the games so far and is certainly making a statement for the future. The right-hander has scores of 64 and 43 in the two ODIs and has looked quite positive from the upfront. He has got all the shots in the book and has taken advantage of the powerplay with Dhawan taking his time from the other end.

Gill is likely to get continuous chances at the top of the order going forward and is expected to be the third opener for the next ODI series. Hence, Ruturaj Gaikwad might get a look in for the third ODI, considering that Gill has done enough to hold on to his place in the squad.

Gaikwad is yet to make his ODI debut and he hasn’t had the best of starts yet in his international career. However, this will be the best chance to make a case for himself under the watchful eyes of Rahul Dravid and he will get the nod ahead of Ishan Kishan at the top of the order with the need for a right-hand left-hand combination.

2. Ishan Kishan- IN; Sanju Samson – OUT

This will be a like-for-like replacement as Ishan Kishan can replace Sanju Samson for the wicketkeeper role after the latter’s important half-century in the previous game. Samson has been in excellent touch in recent times and he played a key role in India winning the first ODI when he stopped a wide delivery from going for a boundary with a full dive.

Samson got his first half-century in ODIs in the second game against West Indies and his ability to cut loose from ball one makes him a dangerous campaigner. He has shown signs of being a backup wicketkeeper for Rishabh Pant in ODIs and hence, he might be rested for the third ODI to give a chance to Kishan.

Kishan meanwhile, has been played at the top of the order mostly but is expected to slot in at number three or number four according to the situation of the game. The 24-year-old has got the ability to pack a punch and is a handy wicketkeeper. He will be looking to make the most if he gets a chance with the bat.

3. Arshdeep Singh – IN; Mohammed Siraj – OUT

Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh is yet to make an appearance in the ODI format for India and he does deserve a chance in the playing XI. Arshdeep’s death-over skills were quite phenomenal in this IPL and he did bowl well in the one T20I he played against England in the three-match series.

India handed a chance to Avesh Khan in the previous game in place of Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep could come in for Mohammad Siraj who has been fantastic in the series. Siraj’s last-over heroics won the game for India in the first ODI and he has turned out to be an excellent find in both the Test and ODI formats.

However, trying out a left-arm seamer would be much wiser with the T20 World Cup 2022 coming up and Arshdeep can bring a different entity into the squad with the angles.

Team India snatched a famous victory against West Indies in the second ODI in Trinidad on Sunday, 24th of July, to seal the three-match ODI series 2-0. India’s man of the hour, Axar Patel, broke MS Dhoni’s 17-year-long standing record in ODIs during his match-winning belligerence.

The hosts dominated the match and were looking set on their way to a series-leveling win until Axar Patel came into bat for India in the 39th over of the second innings, with the visitors struggling at 205/5. The southpaw was hitting the ball crisply from the get-go and seemed like batting on a different track from all the other Indian batters.

The all-rounder kept his cool in a record-breaking chase as wickets kept tumbling at the other end. The southpaw registered his maiden ODI half-century off just 27 deliveries and then finished the match in style with a humungous six down the ground. His match-winning six was not only reminiscent of the days of MS Dhoni but also broke the former Indian skipper’s record of hitting most sixes in a successful run chase for India, batting at no.7 or lower.

Notably, Dhoni had achieved the feat in 2005 when he smashed three sixes against Zimbabwe and former Indian explosive batter Yusuf Pathan also matched his tally twice in 2011. But Axar’s innings of 64 off 35 deliveries included five maximum, breaking the Indian legend’s 17- year old record.

Here's the match-winning knock from @akshar2026. His magical batting earned him the Player of the Match title.

Watch all the action from the India tour of West Indies LIVE, only on #FanCode 👉 https://t.co/RCdQk1l7GU@BCCI @windiescricket #WIvIND #INDvsWIonFanCode #INDvsWI pic.twitter.com/y8xQeUxtK6

— FanCode (@FanCode) July 24, 2022

I would want to continue performing like this for my team: Axar Patel

The left-arm spinner was India’s most economical bowler in the first innings and returned with commendable figures of 40/1 in his nine overs, but it was his ballistic show with the bat that earned him the Player of the Match award as he showed nerves of steel in an intense run chase. He expressed his desire to continue performing similarly for the team in the future during the post-match conference.

“I think this is a special one. It came at a crucial time and also helped the team to win the series. We have done the same in the IPL. We just needed to remain calm and keep the intensity up. I was playing an ODI after close to 5 years. I would want to continue performing like this for my team,” said Axar.

Shai Hope’s 13^th century in his 100^th ODI went in vain as Axar Patel hit his maiden half-century to help India win the second match by two wickets against West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain in Trinidad. With this, the visitors sealed the three-match series 2-0 and also registered their 12^th consecutive series victory against the Men in Maroon. Shreyas Iyer also continued his love affair with the Caribbean team as he smacked his seventh ODI half-century in eight innings against them.

Speaking about how the second encounter went by, skipper Nicholas Pooran won the toss and elected to bat first. Hope, in his landmark match, scored 115 off 135, which included eight fours and three sixes. His opening partner Kyle Mayers amassed 39 off 23 with six fours and a six. Shamarh Brooks mustered 35 while Brandon King bagged a duck. Pooran played fantastic innings of 74 off 77 with one four and six maximums and helped his side reach a total of 311/6. Shardul Thakur was the pick of the Indian bowlers for his spell of 3/54 in seven overs.

Chasing 312, captain Shikhar Dhawan made 13 while Shubman Gill scored 43. Shreyas continued his brilliant form against West Indies as he amassed 63 off 71. Suryakumar Yadav managed to score only nine, with Sanju Samson playing a knock of 54 off 51 with three fours and as many maximums. Deepak Hooda 33 and Axar Patel, with his whirlwind knock of unbeaten 64 with the help of three fours and five maximums, helped the tourists in chasing down the target with two balls to spare. The latter won the Player of the Match award for his match-winning innings in a successful run-chase.

Meanwhile, here are some of the important stats and numbers from the 2^nd ODI between West Indies and India:

100 – Shai Hope appeared in his landmark 100^th ODI.

10 – Hope became the tenth player overall and the fourth West Indian to smash a century in the 100^th one-day international. The other three Caribbean players are Gordon Greenidge, Chris Gayle, and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

64 – Axar Patel slammed his maiden half-century in his 22^nd ODI innings. His previous best score was 38 which came against New Zealand in the year 2016.

3 – Hope registered his third century against India, the joint-most he has against an opponent. The West Indies wicketkeeper has three tons against Bangladesh as well.

12 – India recorded their 12^th consecutive ODI series victory against the Men in Maroon, which is the most by any team against an opposition. Pakistan won 11 successive series against Zimbabwe between 1996 to 2021.

312 – India scripted the third-highest target of 312 successfully chased in ODIs in West Indies.

2 – Wicketkeeper batter Hope has slammed the second-most ODI centuries (12) since the year 2018. Rohit Sharma tops the chart with 13 hundred.

7 – Shreyas Iyer smacked his seventh half-century in eight innings against the Caribbean side. He has scored 463 runs at an average of 57.87, with the highest score of 80.

33 – Hope has now achieved 33 50+ scores which are the third-most by active wicketkeepers in ODIs. Quinton de Kock (46) and Mushfiqur Rahim (45) are in the top two spots.

102 – Shreyas also completed 100 fours in the 50-overs format.

352 – Hope also reached 350 fours in one-day internationals.

New Zealand have announced their squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of the West Indies next month. Skipper Kane Williamson returns to the squad, along with many other senior players, including Tim Southee and Trent Boult.

The Kiwis have not been to the shores of the Caribbean for a bilateral series since 2014 and will see the quartet of Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Devon Conway, who were part of the Test team against England last month, return to the white-ball set-up for the first time since the tour of India following the T20 World Cup last year.

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said that it’s an exciting challenge to take on the two-time T20 World Champions in the Caribbean and also stated the importance of managing the workload of the players in the hectic international calendar that will see his side play different formats every month in 2022.

“It’s always exciting to be heading somewhere you’ve not been in a while, and I know this group can’t wait for the challenge of taking on the West Indies in the Caribbean for Kane, Trent, Tim, and Devon; this will be the first time they have played white ball cricket for New Zealand since last year’s T20 World Cup and tour to India – so this trip will be important for them,” Gary Stead in an official release.

‘It’s been great to see these guys push their cases’, Gary Stead spoke on the emergence of new players in the white ball setup

The recently concluded white ball series against Ireland saw the Kiwis clean sweep the hosts across ODIs and T20Is without several of their key senior players. Michael Bracewell, who made a remarkable start to life in white-ball cricket on the tour of Ireland, has been retained in the squad for the tour of West Indies. The Kiwis will play three ODIs and three T20Is, spread across Barbados and Jamaica, respectively.

“We also have players such as Michael and Finn who are relatively new to the international stage but have really put their hands up for selection when given opportunities. As a selector, it’s been great to see these guys push their cases,” Stead added.

New Zealand ODI and T20I squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Tim Southee

Cricket fans couldn’t have asked for more, as two intense nail-biters took place between West Indies and India at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. India have now secured the 2-0 series after a hard-fought win in the second ODI and it was a game of who held the nerves better in both matches. West Indies would be kicking themselves as they had the chance of winning both matches.

After opting to bat first in the second ODI, West Indies openers Shai Hope and Kyle Mayers (39) looked in good ryhtym and added 65 runs for the first wicket before the 10th over mark. Shamarh Brooks did get a start with a 36-ball 35 but could not make it a big score while Brandon King was removed for a duck. Nicholas Pooran (74) and Hope steadied the ship with a 117-run partnership for the fourth wicket and set an excellent platform for the hosts. Hope reached a fantastic century as West Indies posted 311 in their 50 overs.

India in reply lost Shikhar Dhawan for 13, while Shubman Gill followed him after a handy 43-run knock. Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed cheaply yet again for nine while Shreyas Iyer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) strung together a stunning partnership of 99 for the fourth wicket in quick time. However, once the duo were dismissed in the 39th over, the equation got tougher and tougher. Deepak Hooda perished after a 33-run knock, while India found a new hero in Axar Patel who was striking it brilliantly. The left-hander’s 35 ball-64 took India over the line with just two wickets in hand and two balls to spare.

Losing skipper, Nicholas Pooran said:

Definitely, last couple of overs we didn’t hold our nerves. Last 6 overs, we lost the game. We felt a spinner was easier to hit. We just needed one wicket to seal the game but Axar played really well. His (Hope’s) 100th ODI, he was exceptional to get a hundred. We did an exceptional job with the batting group. We tried to compete really hard. We want to win really bad.

Winning skipper, Shikhar Dhawan said: 

It was a great team performance. Boys didn’t lose the self belief, that is amazing. Iyer, Sanju, Axar everyone was amazing, Even Avesh came out in his debut game and scored those 11 important runs. Thanks to IPL, they perform on a huge stage. I felt that we bowled nicely. They got off to a good start. Hope and Pooran batted well. We thought if they could do it, we knew that we could do it. We started a little slow. Shubman batted well. The Iyer-Samson partnership made a huge difference. There was a run-out. But these things happen. Boys are learning. Thanks to the support staff as well. They have been doing a tremendous job. It was a great feeling when I scored a 100 in my 100th ODI game. I would want to congratulate Hope for doing the same.

POTM, Axar Patel said:

I think this is a special one. It came at a crucial time and also helped the team to win the series. We have done the same in the IPL. We just needed to remain calm and keep the intensity up. I was playing an ODI after close to 5 years. I would want to continue performing like this for my team.