India vs West Indies 3rd ODI Highlights: IND win third ODI by 4 wickets to win series 2-1

Somebody must have seen Shardul's batting abilities, right call to send him ahead of Kuldeep and Shami. No lethargic shots like a tailender so far, good clean hitting. Meanwhile, another four short , India need 1 run in 9 balls - Also take a look at Thakur's six-

Captain's reactions in the dressing room says it all. Shardul Thakur has top-edged one over fine leg for a six! India inch closer at Barabati. Kohli pumps his fist in the dressing room. brings down the req run rate of 5.20

Like a safety valve Thakur releases the pressure with a frive past extra cover. Gavaskar, on commentary seemed apprehensive of Thakur's abilities with the bat but he shows his prowess. Maybe it was something that Kohli said to Shardul before he arrived. 22 from 3 overs 

He's played on! Stunned silence in #Cuttack as Virat Kohli falls for 85. A slight loss in balance- maybe it was the fatigue. India still need 30 runs from 23 balls. Some words of advice from the Indian captain to Shardul Thakur, who walks in next.

Jadeja finds the boundary as he leans across his front foot and its gone past mid-off. The excellent partnership for 6th wicket continues. 8 runs of the over and IND- 286/5 after 46 overs

Pierre with a loopy delivery which dip around off-stump is whipped through deep-mid wicket. That was not a bad ball at all but it was the wrist of Kohli which leaves the bowler in wonder. He is a class apart and surely the one between Windies and a victory for the visitors. IND 263/5 after 43 overs

40 th over starts and Jadeja hits one shot into into the off-side and goes for a quick single. Cottrell rushes in and looks to effect a direct hit with a fiery kick, the ball just about evades the stumps. Kohli survives.  IND- 248/5 in 41 overs

India need 65 off 50 balls. Kohli and Jadeja still there. Kohli moves to 69 with another quick single. These two can burn up the pitch with their running between the wickets. That's the best part of having these two at this kind of a situation. West Indies are spreading the field. Kohli and Jadeja are pushing the fielders as they run the first one hard. IND 253/5 after 42 overs

Jadeja follows after Kedar Jadhav's wicket. Last 10 overs coming up. Not much batting left after this. Has to be this pair that takes India home. Still dealing in singles at the moment. Remember, West Indies got 118 runs in the last 10 overs. India need 79 runs in the last 10 overs.

Kohli times one to the leg side fence for four. Vital runs! That was up in the air for a fair bit. Follows it up with a single. Was pushing for a double but it was just not there. Run out opportunity is well and truly there too. Jadeja and the tail to follow after this. So absolutely essential that India put a premium price on their wickets. And then Kedar Jadhav is bowled cheaply. IND need 99 off 74 balls

Kohli gets to his 50, off 51 balls, with a single. A half-raise of the bat from him. He knows a lot of the job is still left. Kedar Jadhav happy to oblige by responding to his captain's calls at the moment. The leg umpire went upstairs once in the last over as Kedar Jadhav pushed to get back to his crease in time, as he tries to keep pace with Kohli. Kohli responds with some irritation as Kedar Jadhav turns down a single off the last ball of the over. India need 106 off 13 overs

Is this game running away from India now? Kohli has seen the backs of three partners now. Kedar Jadhav, forever looking like he is primed to land a flight in troubled weather, joins him. India need 114 off 88 balls. Still quite achievable. Tense moments all around. Jadhav seems to be in his own world though. 

Hara kiri! There cannot be a more literal enactment of this! Rishabh Pant tries to play a very wide ball, somehow (!!) manages to chop it back to his stumps. He cannot believe how he did that. Neither can the crowd. IND 201/4 after 35 overs

The required run rate has inched above 7.5. That will help! Pant gets his first four. Touch of luck about that. Also poor bowling. Keemo Paul bowls on a leg stump line. Pant gets some bat on it and the ball races away to fine leg. 200 up for India. West Indies were in their 150s at this stage, the 35th over. West Indies did have a great last 10 overs though. Can the Indian middle order step up likewise? Kohli is on 43 off 43 balls, but will he find somebody to stick on with him?

Stat Attack: Kohli has reached 13,000 runs in List-A cricket. These runs have come at an average of 58.30. Phenomenal! Today though, the gaps seem a little harder to find. He is hitting them hard, but they are finding the fielders. On cue, Kohli pushes the ball past Holder, the bowler, for a four to long off. Has a scowl on his face afterwards. Kohli having more trouble in rotating the strike with Pant at the other end. Kohli seems ever ready to go for a run. Pant has turned his skipper down more than once now. IND 195/3 after 34 overs

West Indies strike again. Shreyas Iyer falls! Joseph grabs on to a low catch in the deep. Iyer thinks he will hang around till replays are seen but the umpires send him on his way. No reprieve for him. India have lost their 3rd wicket. Kohli seems to have found his groove but he has now lost 2 partners. IND 188/3 after 32.3 overs

Kohli did not look happy with himself when he only managed a single off the first ball of the 32nd over. Now we know why. As he gets the strike back, he makes it count by smashing consecutive fours. Alzarri Joseph could be up for some punishment if Kohli gets into his groove. Pollard, realizing the danger, moves his field around a bit. Closes the gap on the leg side which Kohli targeted to get those boundaries. Kohli responds by pushing it on the off side for a single. 12 runs off the over. IND 184/2 after 32 overs

With 20 overs left in the match, the shore is within reach now. Kohli has doffed the helmet as he looks to marshal whatever remains of the home team's chase. Iyer, ever consistent, can be expected to contribute but Kohli needs to take on the onus now. Kohli, slashing hard at every ball, perhaps too hard at times, have moved on to 29. IND 173/2 after 31.1 overs

On cue, Rahul falls! Just when India were looking to take this run chase to the next level. He goes for 77 off 89 balls. Alzarri Joseph continues to bowl short and straight. Rahul goes for a pull again, but the short length cramps him up and he can only spoon it up for the keeper to come under it. India lose both their openers. Iyer comes out to join Kohli and fends off his first ball back to the bowler. IND 167/2 after 30 overs

'West Indies need wicket takers', says Sunil Gavaskar. West Indies, for all of their bowling exploits - they have not let India get away with their chase with some containing bowling - perhaps lack a genuine wicket taking option who can hurry the batsmen. Like a Bumrah or a Shami. Or even a Navdeep Saini. 

KL Rahul hoicks Joseph for six over fine leg. What a sound the bat made there. Just a flick but that's a big six. Beautiful timing on that. Ball goes into the crowd a few roars. Rahul follows that up with another well struck shot on the off side, which goes as a flash to the fielder. Rahul could be looking to go up a gear or two here. IND 161/1 after 28 overs

Kohli saw off two dot balls from Keemo Paul to start off the 27th over but ends with a slash on the off side for four runs. 150 comes up for India. More or less evenly balanced this match. Should be an interesting last quarter of the match. Alzarri Joseph replaces Holder. IND 152/1 after 27 overs

Singles at every opportunity and waiting for the boundary opportunity - that seems to be the formula for India at the moment. Kohli happy to let balls go to the keeper for now. Kohli has a poor record at this ground though. That's one record he will want to set straight. His highest score at this ground has been 22. This is his 4th match here. Now on 12. Rahul plodding on at the other end, on 67. IND 145/1 after 26.3 overs

Kohli gets his first boundary. Gentle pace from Holder, offering width on the off side. Kohli obliges by leaning in and driving the ball through the gap in the cover region. Cuttack roars. Kohli has not played a big knock in this series. Today could be his day. IND 139/1 after 24 overs

Kohli comes in after Rohit's wicket and gets off the mark with a push on the off side right away. Rahul, on 56, has been the more tentative batsmen. Will his role change now? Rohit's wicket has opened up quite a few possibilities.

Breakthrough! Jason Holder is brought back and Holder gets an edge off Rohit's bat. Easy catch for the keeper. India lose their first wicket. Rohit is out for 63 off 63 balls. A good innings from him, but could this signal a change in the tide? IND 122/1 after 21.2 overs

This has been such a great year for Rohit and Rahul as an opening pair. Another 100-run stand and they are not done yet. Pierre offering some easy pickings at the moment as the Indian juggernaut rolls on. IND 121/0 after 21 overs

Rohit Sharma brings up his half century in 52 balls. 43rd of his career and his great run of form continues. IND 103/0 after 18 ovs

Runs are coming thick and fast for Team India, just what the doctor ordered in this chase! IND- 82/0, 13 overs | 97.9 - The average opening stand between Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul this year, the highest by any opening pair that has opened in more than one ODI in 2019.

No.of Sixes hit in WI tour of India 2019

T20I series

WIN - 39
IND - 33

ODI Series

WIN - 33
IND - 19*

Rohit and Rahul's success at the top of the order this year continues: that's their 2nd fifty-plus opening stand in a row and their 7th fifty-plus opening stand in 11 innings. 4 of those stands have been over 100, two over 150, and one over 200

FOUR! Another boundary for India, this time a gift from West Indies. Roston Chase makes a mess of his effort at mid-on and lets the ball through. IND- 43/0  in 7 ovs

Another record for Rohit Sharma. He has broken Sanath Jayasuriya's 22 year-old record for the most runs as an opening batsman across all three formats in a calendar year

Hitman is in the mood already! Down the track against Holder and sends the ball deep into the stands over midwicket. Gave himself room and timed it perfectly. And as he does so often, leaves the next ball alone outside off-stump. IND- 21/0 in 3.3 ovs

Rohit and Rahul are at the crease. Rohit is on strike. Cottrell will open the attack.  316 to win and a maiden over to start the proceedings. Seems difficult for Team India. 

300 target in India -
team batting first
won 66
lost 14
Draw 2

After a quiet beginning, Rohit steps out of his crease to Cottrell and gets his second four of the over. 

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul begin India's chase. 316 to get. India have timed their chases to perfection in recent years. Can they do it again today?

16 runs of the last over and with that West Indies reach 315/5 in 50 overs Kieron Pollard finishes with 74* off 51 balls. Last 10 overs: 118 runs, 1 wicket. Will they be able to hold off India for the series win?

West Indies today:

After 40 - 197/4

After 45 - 238/4

After 50 - 315/5

India conceded 77 runs in last 5 overs. 315 is competitive enough!

Fifty for West Indies Captain Pollard, 53* from 44 balls including 3 fours and 4 sixes. A mature responsible innings from the captain. He has been the perfect foil to Nicholas Pooran and now taking on the baton from him to finish the innings.

Gone! Nicholas Pooran's sensational innings of 89 comes to an end. Shardul Thakur picks up the wicket! It was a slower one which Pooran tried to cut uppishly but finds Jadeja in the deep. Has he given West Indies a fighting chance? WI 279/5 in 47.5 overs.

Highest 5th wkt p'ship for WI vs Ind:

116*N Pooran - K Pollard Cuttack 2019

109 M Samuels - R Powell Vijaywada 2002

108 G Logie - C Hooper Gwalior 1988

106 R Sarwan - S Chanderpaul Basseterre 2006

Three sensational hits from Nicholas Pooran. Powerful straight drive, conventional pull and an innovative one to follow that. Simply incredible batting this. 250 comes up. WI- 251/4 (45.5 ovs)

Back to back boundaries for Pooran of Saini. The 100-run stand between Pooran-Polly comes up. Pooran has been particualrly impressive. He came at a difficult stage when West Indies was struggling with quick wickets. Pooran has played a more responsible role and he has been very consistent throughout this tournament with 75 in the last game at Vishakapatnam. 

A couple of them tough but Rishabh Pant has put down four catches in this innings. Day to forget for him behind the stumps. Pant has a very big initial movement, when he keeps to fast bowlers, towards the leg side of the batsmen.. therefore struggles when the ball goes the other side. technique needs to be worked upon

FIFTY FOR POORAN! That is smoked away. There is a fielder there but he is just a spectator like everyone else. Pooran gets to his fifty in style. Floated around off, Pooran smashes it over long off to get to his fifty. 

Pollard not happy with something behind the sightscreen. The lights in the press box have been asked to be switched off. It is a problem in the eastern part of the country when the sun goes down to sight the ball at times. Meanwhile, Pooran and Pollard have pushed West Indies past 200. With nine overs still to go, how much should be enough on this track?

The big hitting pair of Windies Skipper Pollard (18*) & Pooran (37*) look well set for the crucial last 10 overs. WI- 197/4, 40 overs | Remember- Nicholas Pooran's strike-rate in the last 10 overs of an innings is 142.4 in ODI cricket, the highest by a West Indian batsman in 2019 (min. 5 innings).

SIX! Kieron Pollard smashes Kuldeep Yadav to pick up up a much needed maximum for West Indies. But he is not done yet- six more for Pollard who's gone over extra cover. It was flighted up at just under 80ks, turned back into Pollard from outside off and he just creamed it. WI- 178/4 after 37 ovs

Navdeep Saini with another ripper and it hits the toes of Kieron Pollard and the bowler thinks he has got his man. Loud appeal by the bowler, wicketkeeper joins him, but the umpire shows no interest. Virat Kohli after discussing with the bowler signals for DRS, but TV replay confirms that the impact was out of the line as India waste a review.  

That's wicket no two for the debutant as he sends Roston Chase packing on 38. A yorker from the bowler, which was coming at 139 kph and Chase fails to get his bat down in time. WI: 144/4 (31.3 overs) 

Navdeep Saini picks up his maiden ODI wicket as Shimron Hetmyer has to take the long walk back to the pavilion. A back of a length delivery coming at the stumps and Hetmyer tries to take an aerial route. He tries to pull the ball, connects it from the middle of the blade but the ball balloons up in the air, landing straight into the hands of Kuldeep Yadav, who was standing at the right place at the right time. The batsman departs after scoring 37 off 33. WI: 132/3 (29.2 overs) 

A tossed up delivery by Kuldeep Yadav and Shimron Hetmyer muscles the ball into the stands towards the deep-midwicket region for a SIX. With this, West Indies also edge past the 100-run-mark. Hetmyer is playing on 19 from 21 deliveries, while his partner Chase is batting on 22 off 36 balls. WI 104-2 (26 overs)   

Shai Hope, who scored 102*, 78, and 42, in the ongoing series against India missed out by four runs from breaking Brian Lara's record of accumulating the most ODI runs by a Windies player in a calendar year.

The numbers are as follow:

1349: B Lara (1993)
1345: Shai Hope (2019)
1232: D Haynes (1985)
1231: V Richards (1985)
1217: C Gayle (2006) 

Mohammed Shami gets the big wicket of Shai Hope as the Windies opener departs after scoring 42 off 50 deliveries. Shami pitches the ball right in the slot and it penetrates through the gap between bat and the pads, knocking off the middle stump on its way. WI: 70/2 (19.2 overs)

Ever since coming into the attack, Ravindra Jadeja has been teasing with Evin Lewis, and the Carribean batsman takes the bait in the last ball of the over and tries to go for the maximum. But he mistimes it and his shot lands in the safe hands of the debutant Navdeep Saini. The batsman walks off for 21. Roston Chase comes on. WI: 57/1 (15 overs)

After an expensive opening over, Navdeep Saini has followed it up with two overs filled with exceptional line and length that has made the Windies batsmen be on their backfoot, conceding just two runs. Kuldeep Yadav has also come into the attack, and concedes just four runs. WI: 49/0 (12 overs)

Evin Lewis ends the first powerplay by slamming a four straight down the ground off Mohammed Shami's delivery as the pair help Windies reach 44/0 at the end of 10 overs. Lewis is batting on 18 from 31 balls, while his partner Hope is playing on 25 off 29 balls.   

Navdeep Saini kicks off his ODI career by conceding eight runs in his first over. He starts off with an over pitch delivery, just outside the off stumps and Evin Lewis slams him for a boundary straight down the ground. Lewis then drives an overpitched delivery by him towards the cover region for another boundary. Not a start to remember for the 27-year-old.  WI: 30/0 (7 overs) 

Mohammed Shami with a good length delivery and the ball comes angling towards Shai Hope, almost rolling on to the stumps. Lucky for Hope that the ball after taking the inside edge hits his thigh pad and rolls towards the on-side. WI: 22/0 (6 overs)