Depleted Indians no match for Windies

In reply, the Indian batsmen failed to follow the lessons taught by Lara on Teacher’s Day and crash-landed to defeat, a day after they had rode high on success. Lara, who had dropped down to number seven, walked in with the West Indies placed atunpleasant 85-5 in the 17th over. And for the next 40 minutes, the Indians simply danced to the tune of Lara’s lyrics. Five sixes and two boundaries in his 43-ball 60 tell a tale of their own. He relished Robin Singh’s gentle pace and Debasis Mohanty’s swing bowling the most, carting them to two sixes each.

Mohanty, who provided a sensational start to the proceedings by claiming Ridley Jacobs with the first delivery of the innings, finally ensured Lara’s exit. But in the same over, Lara had plucked two boundaries and a six before another attempted heave ended his tenure.

After Mohanty’s first ball success, the Indians had managed to tighten the noose with Ganguly’s bowling changes proving to be quite effective. He had tossed the ball to Sadagopan Ramesh to test his off-spinners on the international arena. Ramesh responded well sending back Nixon McLean (23), who was promoted in the order. He even managed to keep Lara guessing for almost one over. But that was it.

Ricardo Powell, who had exhibited hisprowess in the tournament opener, triggered the run carnage by slamming Ramesh for a boundary and a sixer in succession. In the same over, Lara followed suit with a six over long-on and Ramesh’s first bowling stint in ODIs was in tatters. Powell and Lara were associated in a rollicking association of 61 runs that came of 51 balls as West Indies collected 100 runs in the last 10 overs. Though Ganguly and Rahul Dravid strung a 73-run alliance after the early departure of Ramesh, it were the West Indian quicks, who held the leash. Once Ganguly was stumped trying to regain the crease, the Indian challenge was reduced to a wet cracker.

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES: Ridley Jacobs c Chopra b Mohanty 0 (1b, 1m); Shivnarine Chanderpaul c Chopra b Mohanty 23 (14b, 22m, 2×4, 2×6); Jimmy Adams c R Singh b Shukla 8 (23b, 27m, 1×4); Nixon McLean c Mohanty b Ramesh 23 (30b, 51m, 2×4); Wavell Hinds c MSK Prasad b Chopra 1 (4b, 6m); Ricardo Powell st Prasad b Chopra 46 (44b, 55m, 4×4, 1×6); Brian Lara c Khurasiya bMohanty 60 (43b, 40m, 2×4, 5×6); Nehmeiah Perry not out 14 (16b, 23m, 1×4); Hendy Bryan not out 9 (9b, 10m, 1×4); Extras: (4lb, 5nb, 3w) 12. Total: (for seven wickets in 30 overs) 196

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (0.1 overs, Jacobs), 2-32 (4.5, Chanderpaul), 3-45 (7.3, Adams), 4-49 (8.5, Hinds), 5-85 (16.1, McLean), 6-146 (24.4, Powell), 7-176 (27.4, Lara).

Bowling: Mohanty 6-0-52-3 (2nb, 1w), Shukla 5-0-25-1 (1w), Chopra 6-0-23-2 (1w), Joshi 6-0-29-0, Ramesh 3-0-23-1, Robin Singh 3-0-28-0 (1nb), Ganguly 1-0-12-0 (2nb).

INDIA: Sadagoppan Ramesh c Perry b King 0 (7b, 10m); Saurav Ganguly st Jacobs c McLean 32 (46b, 75m, 4×4); Rahul Dravid c Bryan b McLean 39 (49b, 80m, 3×4); Vinod Kambli run out (Lara) 11 (14b, 20m, 1×6); Amay Khurasiya c&b Perry 3 (11b, 11m); Robin Singh not out 23 (22b, 46m, 2×4); Laxmi Ratan Shukla b Dillon 13 (10b, 8m, 1×4); Nikhil Chopra c Jacobs b King 7 (13b, 16m); MSK Prasad c Perry b Hinds 5 (6b, 9m); Sunil Joshi not out 4 (4b, 3m, 1×4); Extras: (2lb,2nb, 13w) 17. Total: (for eight wickets off 30 overs) 154

Fall of wickets: 1-5 (1.5 overs, Ramesh), 2-78 (14.5, Ganguly), 3-96 (18.5, Dravid), 4-96 (19.5, Kambli), 5-101 (21.2, Khurasiya), 6-115 (23.1, Shukla), 7-135 (27.2, Chopra), 8-148 (29.1, Prasad)

Bowling: Dillon 6-0-27-1 (2nb, 6w), King 5-0-25-2 (3w), Bryan 6-0-32-0 (1w), Perry 6-1-30-1, McLean 6-0-32-2 (2w), Hinds 1-0-6-1 (1w).

RESULT: WEST INDIES WON BY 42 RUNS

MAN OF THE MATCH: Brian Lara