TAROUBA: The outstanding opening partnership of 143-run between Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill followed by quickfire knocks from Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya powered India to 351/5 against West Indies in the third and final ODI of the three-match series here at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Tuesday.
Gill scored the highest for India with 85 off 92 while Kishan played a fine knock of 77 runs. Stand-in captain Hardik Pandya played a fiery unbeaten knock of 70 runs off 52 while Sanju Samson also smashed a vital 51 runs off 41 balls. Romario Shepherd scalped two wickets for West Indies, conceding 73 runs in his 10 overs spell.
Put to bat first, India got off to a fiery start as openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill kept piling boundaries.
Gill took a liking to some of Alzarri Joseph’s bowling and found boundaries off the Caribbean pacer as he drove the ball through over mid-wicket, then pushed through the covers for four on the next delivery.
In the 14th over of the game, Kishan slammed his half-century in 43 balls. Gill also brought up his fifty with a stunning four over the backward square leg in the 51 balls.
With a hundred-run opening stand India’s openers kept the scoreboard ticking against West Indies.
Yannic Cariah gave his team a major breakthrough as he dismissed Ishan Kishan in the 20th over of the game and broke the 143-run opening partnership of Indian openers. Kishan’s outstanding innings of 77 runs came to an end as he was stumped by Shai Hope.
After 21 overs India’s score read 145/1. The right-handed batter Ruturaj Gaikwad then came out to bat but the latter could not score big and went back to the pavilion after scoring just 8 runs.
The right-handed batter Sanju Samson then came out to bat and got off to the mark by taking two runs and then slamming a beautiful six.
The duo of Samson and Gill built a fine partnership as they kept slamming West Indies bowlers for big runs while gathering singles at regular intervals.
The Indian batters rotated the strike brilliantly, not allowing the West Indies bowlers to settle down while whacking the loose balls on offer.
Till the 27th over, Samson in red-hot form smashed three sixes in the 13 balls he faced. While slamming West Indie bowlers all around the ground Samson also brought up his maiden ODI half-century in 39 balls.
After 2 fours and 4 sixes, the Samson show came to an abrupt end. Samson’s stay at the crease was cut short as he was dismissed by Romario Shepherd after scoring 51 runs off 41 balls.
Stand-in captain Hardik Pandya then came out to bat and stitched a 21-run partnership with Gill before the opener lost his wicket to Gudakesh Motie after scoring 85.
Suryakumar Yadav then came out to bat. Pandya shifted the gears and slammed West Indies bowlers all around the ground at regular intervals. The duo of Pandya and Surykumar kept the scoreboard ticking for the Indian team. Suryakumar’s stay at the crease was cut short as he was removed by Romario Shepherd after scoring just 35 off 30.
The left-handed batter Ravindra Jadeja then came out to bat. Pandya displayed great resilience and determination as he brought up his half-century in 45 balls. In the last over Pandya destroyed Shepherd and gathered 18 runs with the help of two sixes and one four, taking his team’s total to 351/5 in 50 overs.
Brief score: India 351/5 (Shubman Gill 85, Ishan Kishan 77; Romario Shepherd 2-73) vs West Indies. (ANI)