VISAKHAPATNAM – Darren Sammy led a West Indies fightback to beat India by two wickets in the second ODI here yesterday.
West Indies pulled off a nerve-racking victory to draw level in the three-match series as they bounced back from a six-wicket loss in the first ODI.
West Indies scored 289 for eight from 49.3 overs in response to India’s 288 for seven off 50 overs, which had been built around Virat Kohli’s fluent 99 off 100 balls with nine fours and captain Mahendra Dhoni’s late blitz for an unbeaten 51 off 40 balls with three fours and four sixes.
Four batsmen – Kieran Powell (59), Darren Bravo (50), Lendl Simmons (62) and Sammy (63 not out) – hit half-centuries as the West Indies won the game but not before few hiccups.
The West Indies made a shaky start in their chase of 289, losing opening batsman Johnson Charles and Marlon Samuels cheaply to be 23 for two.
With their side under pressure, Powell and in-form Darren Bravo stitched a 100-run third-wicket partnership which not only bailed the West Indies out of trouble, but also put them in a strong position.
Darren Bravo had luck on his side – the Indians missed as many as three chances in four deliveries to dismiss him. Wicketkeeper Dhoni, in the 20th over off Ravichandran Ashwin spilled a simple chance, and one delivery later, Suresh Raina failed to grab a tough catch at the slip. On the first delivery of the next over, Mohammed Shami stretched his hand but could not grab the ball off his own bowling.
The left-handed Bravo batted comfortably otherwise, swatting eight boundaries off 54 balls before he ran out of luck when Dhoni took a sharp catch off Ashwin.
His dismissal at 123-3 brought Simmons to the crease, but his partnership with Powell who hit seven fours and six off 70 balls did not last long as Ashwin lured the latter well out of his crease for an easy stumping by Dhoni.
Captain Dwayne Bravo fell soon, ill-advisedly pulling a short of a length delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar to be caught by Shikhar Dhawan at deep midwicket for 18, leaving the West Indies on 188 for five.
But Simmons and Sammy, instead of looking for big shots, played wisely during the mandatory powerplay as only 15 runs came off five overs.
Simmons also got a lifeline when Yuvraj Singh spilled a catch at long-on as the batsman went for a big heave off Bhuvneshwar. But Sammy was quick to rub some salt in India with a six off the last ball of that over. Simmons got the same result on the first ball of the next over from Ravindra Jadeja as they added 82 precious runs for the sixth wicket.
Simmons was eventually trapped leg before wicket by Jadeja off the final ball of the 47th over after hitting a six and five fours in an important 62 off 74 balls.
After Sammy completed his sixth ODI half-century, the West Indies slipped up a bit towards the end, with Jason Holder and Sunil Narine falling in quick succession, but Sammy ensured his side emerged victorious.
“I must thank my teammates for giving me another opportunity,” Sammy said. “It must have been difficult to do that, seeing how the series has gone for me. Simmons and I communicated well. We backed ourselves to get 90-odd in the last ten overs. Once I am hitting the ball nicely, it was always good for me. Good to contribute in a crucial game.”
Sammy remained unbeaten on 63 off just 45 balls, hitting four boundaries and four sixes.
Earlier, the West Indies’ bowling towards the end of the Indian innings played a key role in keeping the series alive. India were 194 for three after 35 overs with Kohli on course for an 18th ODI century.
However, Ravi Rampaul, Holder and Narine pulled them back. First, Rampaul bounced out Kohli while Narine bowled his last five overs, coming back in the 37th over, for just eight runs, including two maidens.
Rampaul finished with four for 60, his figures spoiled by Dhoni’s assault towards the end, which included two sixes off his last two balls.
The teams will meet in the final ODI on Wednesday in Kanpur. (CMC/EZS)
