India’s World Cup batting aspirants fail big time as WI levels series

BRIDGETOWN: The batting audition of India’s World Cup aspirants didn’t go as per plan on a bouncy track as West Indies levelled the three-match ODI series with a comfortable six-wicket victory, riding on superb bowling efforts from Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie.

Indian team management’s decision to rest skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli badly backfired as none of the middle-order batters could cope with pace, bounce and turn, getting all-out for 181 in 40.5 overs in the rain-marred second ODI, here on Saturday.

In reply, West Indies survived a lively spell from Shardul Thakur (3/42 in 8 overs) before skipper Shai Hope (63 not out, 80 balls) and young Keacy Carty (48 not out, 65 balls) added 91 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket to close the game in 36.4 overs and break a chain of nine successive bilateral defeats since December, 2019.

However it was an inept batting effort that became India’s undoing.

Losing five wickets for 23 runs in just 7.2 overs after opening stand of 90 between Ishan Kishan (55 off 55 balls) and Shubman Gill (34 off 49 balls) hurt India’s cause after the West Indies skipper Shai Hope opted to bowl.

The rationale behind Rohit and Kohli’s forced break with only 10 months left before the big event, didn’t make much sense. Not to forget that the failures left more questions than answers.

There were two rain delays but the West Indies bowlers never let their intensity drop in an impressive display.

While Kishan, who will not open during World Cup, consolidated his case for selection as second wicket-keeper (provided KL Rahul gets fit for World Cup) with a second successive half-century, the same couldn’t be said about Sanju Samson (9 off 19 balls) and Axar Patel (1 off 8 balls).

Promoted as Nos 3 and 4 to keep the left-right combination going, both players struggled not only against short-ball tactic employed by Jayden Seales (1/28 in 6 overs), Alzarri Joseph (2/35 from 7 overs) and Shepherd (3/37 in 8 overs) but also the grip, turn and bounce that spinners Motie (3/36 in 9.5 overs) and Yannic Cariah (1/25 in 5 overs) generated.

Just like the first game, the Kensington Oval pitch had a lot of spice and West Indies bowlers were steady save a brief period when Kishan and Gill did score runs at a brisk pace.

Kishan gave Motie the charge and got a six while Gill’s on-drive was a treat for the eyes even though he never looked completely in rhythm.

Once Motie gave the ball more air, a desperate Gill tried to loft him but was holed at long-off boundary.

Brief scores: India 181 in 40.5 overs (I Kishan 55, G Motie 3/36, R Shepherd 3/37) lost to West Indies 182/4 in 36.4 overs (S Hope 63*, K Carty 48*, S Thakur 3/42)