India vs West Indies (IND vs WI) 3rd ODI Highlights: Virat Kohli’s 43rd ton helps India win the series by 2-0
India vs West Indies (IND vs WI) 3rd ODI: In a rain-interrupted 35 overs per side game, India beat West Indies by six wickets to win the ODI series by 2-0 as Chris Gayle bids adieu to ODI cricket. Chasing a target of 255 runs (DLS revised), India lost the wicket of opener Rohit Sharma early on. Virat Kohli shared crucial partnerships with Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer to take the team home. Kohli scored his 43rd ODI ton and also became the first batsman to score 20,000 international runs in a decade. Iyer’s quickfire 41-ball 65 helped India dominate West Indies in the middle overs after two quick wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant.
West Indies posted a total of 240 for 7 in the first innings. Nicholas Pooran’s cameo and Carlos Brathwaite’s lusty blows in the last over helped the hosts post a challenging total. Chris Gayle stood out of the lot in his retirement match hammering a 41-ball 72 studded with eight fours and five sixes. Gayle shared an opening partnership of 115 runs with Evin Lewis who scored 29-ball 43 to get West Indies off to a blazing start, After rain played spoilsport, no West Indies batsman could help their side post a huge total building on the platform except Pooran. For India, Khaleel Ahmed took three wickets despite leaking 68 runs in his quota of seven overs. Mohammed Shami made a good comeback too, taking two wickets in the post-rain session.
West Indies
240/7 (35.0)India
256/4 (32.3)India beat West Indies by 6 wickets (D/L method)
Virat Kohli seals the match and the series with a boundary. India win the match by six wickets and the series by 2-0.
Virat Kohli becomes the first batsman to score 20,000 international runs in a decade. Meanwhile, India are storming towards the target. 10 runs from the 32nd over. India need eight runs from 12 deliveries. IND - 247/4 in 32 overs
Virat Kohli reaches his 43rd ODI ton from 94 deliveries. He has anchored the run chase well despite wickets falling from the other end. India need just 18 runs from 24 deliveries. IND - 237/4 in 31 overs
Kedar Jadhav quickly gets to the pitch of the ball and hits Roston Chase over deep mid-wicket for a maximum. Jadhav is that good against the spin. 10 runs from Chase's over. IND 223/4 in 30 overs
Once again, Shreyas Iyer fails to convert. Iyer plays it straight to long-off fielder. Roach gets the breakthrough. Iyer departs for 65 after doing all the hard work. He could not finish it off and leaves the finishing to Kohli and rest of the batsmen. IND - 212/4 in 28.2 overs
Shreyas Iyer is on a six-hitting spree tonight. Roston Chase's over was going well till the last delivery. Iyer hits it towards deep square leg once again. IND - 211/3 in 28 overs
Virat Kohli calls for the physio after a short ball from Kemar Roach hits his thumb. He is just 15 runs away from his 43rd ODI hundred. IND - 201/3 in 26.2 overs
Shreyas Iyer gets to his fourth ODI half-century in just 33 deliveries. A brilliant inning under pressure from Iyer. With a boundary, he completes a 100-run partnership with Virat Kohli. The duo is dominating West Indies bowlers. IND - 199/3 in 26 overs
You don't sledge Kohli, he only gets pumped up after a few exchanges on the field. Evin Lewis had a few words with Kohli and the Indian skipper replies with a boundary. 10 runs from Brathwaite's over. IND - 190/3 in 25 overs
Jason Holder has a talk with experienced Chris Gayle as India might just win the game in the next few overs at this pace. IND - 180/3 in 24 overs
That was not just a slog, it was a proper cricketing shot for a six. A straight bat, playing on the up and gets the desired result. Iyer hits his fourth six of the day. Maybe Rishabh Pant can take a leaf out of his book. 12 runs from the over. IND - 173/3 in 23 overs
Virat Kohli manages to find gaps making it difficult for Jason Holder to set the field. It would not be the first time anyone has said that Kohli is a class apart. Two back-to-back boundaries from him. Meanwhile, Fabian Allen gets injured trying to stop a boundary. IND - 161/3 in 22 overs
Misfield ruins a near-perfect over from Carlos Brathwaite under circumstances. A boundary off the last ball of the over for Shreyas Iyer. Seven runs from Brathwaite's first over of the innings. IND - 149/3 in 21 overs
Shreyas Iyer has taken the mantle to attack here. Iyer is hitting the spinners out of the attack. He hits a maximum off Roston Chase as well. Kohli is lauding him for the intent. Iyer-Kohli put on 50 runs for the fourth wicket in just 44 deliveries. IND - 142/2 in 20 overs
That's how you dominate spin bowling. Shreyas Iyer hits Fabian Allen for back-to-back sixes. All of a sudden, the momentum is on India's side. 15 runs from the over. IND - 133/3 in 19 overs
Fifty number 55 for Virat Kohli. There is a chance he converts it into his 43rd ODI hundred. India are still in the game as long as he is there. IND - 118/3 in 18 overs
Shreyas Iyer hits his first boundary of the innings. A boundary for India after a long time. The two wickets have put India on the back foot in this run chase. Good over for India, eight runs from it. IND - 111/3 in 17 overs
It is up to Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer once again. With three wickets down, there is pressure on Kohli to keep the run chase on track. He will need support from Iyer, who is virtually India's no.4 batsman under these conditions. Just four runs from Chase's over. IND 97/3 in 14 overs
An excellent over from Fabian Aleen changing the course of the match. Allen invited the two left-handers to go after him and was rewarded for his bravery. Just two runs from the over and two huge wickets. IND - 93/3 in 13 overs
Once again, Indian team management trusted Rishabh Pant with the no.4 position and he throws it away. Pant gets down the track and tries to Fabian Allen for a six off the first ball he faces. He will be kicking himself for playing that shot, an irresponsible one. Virat Kohli looks clearly disappointed with Pant's immatureness. IND - 92/3 in 12.4 overs
Shikhar Dhawan loses his wicket trying to hit Fabian Allen down the ground. Dhawan came down the track to get to the pitch of the ball but could not time it. First wicket for Allen, breaking the partnership between Dhawan and Kohli. IND - 91/2 in 12.2 overs
No boundaries in the last couple of overs. Fabian Allen and Roston Chase in the attack in an attempt to slow down the proceedings. Just two runs from Chase's first over. IND - 91/1 in 12 overs
The partnership between Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan continues to blossom. Jason Holder is backing his bowlers to provide the breakthrough but Dhawan-Kohli are dominating them making the run chase look easy. Nine runs from the 10th over. IND - 83/1 in 10 overs
Left-arm spinner Fabian Allen into the attack. The introduction of spin does not make an impact as Virat Kohli hits him for a boundary off the last ball of the over. Nine runs from Allen's first over. IND 74/1 in 9 overs
Getting one boundary in each over and knock the ball around for singles, India's run chase is on track. Seven runs from the eighth over. IND - 65/1 in 8 overs
India get past the 50-run mark in the seventh over of the run chase. Virat Kohli rubs salts on the wounds hitting two boundaries off Kemar Roach's over. When you give Kohli chances, he makes them count. 10 runs from the over. IND - 58/1 in 7 overs
Keemo Paul started off a little scratchy but he managed to trouble Virat Kohli. First, it was a miscued shot landing safely. Second, he was dropped by wicketkeeper Shai Hope. Not a pleasant sight for the opposition captain. Will Kohli make him pay? IND - 48/1 in 6 overs
Using the pace of the ball and hitting it over the slip fielder, Virat Kohli gets his first boundary of the day. That shot was very unlike him, especially in the initial phase of the innings. Eight runs from the over. IND - 33/1 in 4 overs
That was the last thing India needed in the run chase. A terrible mix-up between Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. That is the reason why you should never run off a misfield. Rohit puts in a dive but could not make his ground. He departs for 10. IND - 25/1 in 2.4 overs
Positive signs for India, Shikhar Dhawan is timing the ball well. Two consecutive boundaries for Dhawan from Jason Holder. 11 runs from it. Indian openers are putting pressure on West Indies right from the start. IND - 21/0 in 2 overs
Rohit Sharma hits two boundaries off the first two balls of the innings. 10 runs from the over. Both openers are off the mark. IND - 10/0 in 1 over
India need 255 runs to win the series. As per DLS method, 15 runs have been added to West Indies' first innings score. The required run rate is 7.29 runs per over.
An outside edge off Fabian Allen's bat goes for a boundary. West Indies finish 240 for 7 in 35 overs. A competitive score which will be revised for India to chase.
Carlos Brathwaite departs after hitting Khaleel Ahmed for a six down the ground followed by a lucky inside edge running towards the fine leg boundary. A top edge off the bat and Rishabh Pant takes the catch. Khaleel gets his third wicket of the match. WI - 236/7 in 34.4 overs
Mohammed Shami makes it hard for West Indies batters to get underneath the ball and hit it a long way. Just four singles from the penultimate over. WI - 225/6 in 34 overs
Jason Holder tries to hit Khaleel Ahmed for a maximum down the ground but plays it straight to long-on fielder Virat Kohli. He did not have to move at all to take the catch. West Indies lose the plot in death overs. WI - 221/6 in 32.5 overs
Maybe that's why West Indies needed a left-handed batsman in the middle. Ravindra Jadeja asks all kinds of questions from Carlos Brathwaite in that over. Just a single from it and a catch dropped on the last ball of the over. Excellent comeback after getting hit for 17 runs in the previous over. WI - 217/5 in 32 overs
Shami has bowled well in the post-rain session picking two wickets and not leaking runs. Just five runs from his sixth including the wicket of Nicholas Pooran. WI - 216/5 in 31 overs
Mohammed Shami provides India with a much-needed breakthrough in the death overs. Virat Kohli brings him back into the attack to bowl his final over as Nicholas Pooran was hitting spinners for sixes. Shami delivers straight away. Pooran plays it straight to the long-on fielder Manish Pandey. Pooran departs for 30 runs from just 16 deliveries including three sixes and one four. WI - 211/5 in 30.1 overs
Nicholas Pooran hits two maximums in an over, this time he takes on Ravindra Jadeja. Faster delivery from Jadeja and Pooran hits it a long way over mid-wicket. The second one, he gets down on one knee and hits another maximum. The left-handed batsman is causing all sorts of problems for Virat Kohli. Will Kedar Jadhav bowl an over here? 17 runs from the over. WI - 211/4 in 30 overs
Short delivery by Yuzvendra Chahal and Nicholas Pooran hits him out of the park. Terrible delivery on this pitch. Chahal finishes his quota of 35 overs with an 11-run over. WI - 194/4 in 29 overs
Jadeja has not conceded a single boundary in his three overs so far. He was introduced late into the innings but has managed to take a wicket and keep the scoring rate down. Just four runs from his over as Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder struggle to hit him. WI - 183/4 in 28 overs
Kedar Jadhav dives to his left to save three runs for the team. An edge off Jason Holder's bat and it was flying towards the third man boundary but Jadhav got one hand to it. Whole team applauses the effort. Khaleel Ahmed back into the attack, seven runs from the over including a boundary. WI - 179/4 in 27 overs
Ravindra Jadeja cramps Shai Hope for room. Hope goes for a cut shot but there was not enough spin on the ball to play that one. Jadeja gets his first wicket of the day as Hope departs for 24. WI - 171/4 in 25.4 overs
`Shimron Hetmyer outdone by Mohammed Shami's slower one. Hetmyer fails to pick the offcutter as it goes through and hits the woodwork. First wicket for India after the break. WI - 171/3 in 24.5 overs
Finally, Ravindra Jadeja has been introduced into the attack in the 24th over. Tight line and length in that over from Jadeja, just three singles from it. WI - 167/2 in 24 overs
Shami bowls the first over after the rain break. No risk taken in the first over by Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope, Six runs from the over. WI - 164/2 in 23 overs
The play is set to resume in a few minutes. It is going to be a 35 over per side game. The innings break will be just 20 minutes.
Things not looking any better in Port of Spain. And it doesn't look like they are going to get better anytime soon either.
With rain showing no sign of relenting, time to tune into some vintage cricket, from when Chris Gayle - looking like a lanky lad - scored his first Test 300. West Indies's evergreen man Shivnarine Chanderpaul seen batting with him.
We'll bring word on when this ODI can resume when it comes.
Bad news: The rains have increased in intensity.
Good news: The Indian players are enjoying a game of football on the field. The crowd's energy also seems to be endless, they are dancing to the tunes of the tracks being played.
Bottom line: Still no cricket.
And following true to how the day has progressed so far: The covers are brought back on as another drizzle breaks out. We were supposed to start at 10.45 pm but there's no chance of that happening now. The wait continues.
Update: Play will resume at 10:45 pm IST. The brooms are out and the floodlights are on. There is no rain at the moment, but we know how rain has showed up as a surprise guest throughout this tour. The latest update from BCCI: "It has stopped raining at the moment. If there is no more rain, we will have a 13:15 PM (local) scheduled start."
We are still waiting on word on when we can resume. Rain continues to frustrate, as it has throughout this series. When Gayle and Lewis were setting off fireworks not too long ago today, could we have known water was soon to be poured on it all?
Finally, the rain has stopped. Ground staff have started to remove the covers but troublingly, dark clouds are still hovering over the stadium.
An interesting development being reported in Indian cricket: The CoA goes through a change of heart, accepts apology from Team India manager Sunil Subramaniam over his misbehaviour with Indian diplomats in West Indies. He will stay back till the end of the tour now.
So, we have now lost more than 60 minutes because of these rain delays. So, if and when we resume, were will not have a full 50-over match any longer. Fingers crossed that we don't lose too many overs and that the rains stop. There's still no let-up in the rain though.
"The rain is steady and this will be a long wait by the looks of it," is the latest update from BCCI. If and when the rains do stop now, we are also set to lose overs from here on. West Indies were 158 for two after electing to bat. Shimron Hetmeyer (18) and Shai Hope (19) were are the crease for the hosts, who need to win the match to level the three-match series.
Most sixes in international cricket. First player to hit the first ball of a Test for six. First and only batsman to hit 300 sixes in IPL. Most sixes hit in a T20 innings (18). The only player to carry his bat in Tests & T20Is. Just some records held by Chris Gayle. What a special performer ODI cricket is set to bid goodbye to today. We are still waiting on an official confirmation on whether this was his farewell match, but Gayle had said during the World Cup that he was planning to bid adieu to international cricket after the India series.
The rains had stopped and the covers were being removed but the heavens have opened up again. This time, the rains are pouring down with more intensity. Play was due to start in another 5 minutes, but we are sure to take longer than that now.