IND VS WI: Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant leads India towards 96-run victory

IND VS WI: India thrashed the West Indies by 96 runs in the third ODI on Friday, sweeping the series. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant both scored half-centuries.

India reached 265 after losing three early wickets when batting first in Ahmedabad, thanks to Iyer’s 80 and Pant’s 56.

Their bowlers, headed by pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj, then combined to dismiss the West Indies for 169 in 37.1 overs, handing them their first-ever ODI whitewash.

Siraj and fellow paceman Prasidh Krishna each grabbed three wickets, while Deepak Chahar and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav each took two wickets.

But it was Iyer and Pant’s 110-run fourth-wicket stand that helped India recover from 43-3 after losing two important wickets, skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, for nought.

“Today we saw Shreyas Iyer, the way he batted. Rishabh Pant came out and put up that score. Deepak Chahar, Sundar, all these guys batted brilliantly,” Rohit, who took over as India’s full-time ODI skipper in the series, told reporters.

“What was good to see in this series was different guys taking responsibility and finishing the game and doing the job for the team. It’s a good sign moving forward.”

Before India was bowled out on the penultimate delivery of the 50th over, Chahar, who struck 38, and Washington Sundar, who batted 33, both had crucial cameos.

Kohli struggles

To upset the hosts, fast bowler Alzarri Joseph struck twice in the same over, taking the wickets of Rohit (13) and Kohli (for the second time in the series).

Kohli, who scored eight and 18 in the first two encounters, was caught behind in his attempt to flick the ball down the leg side, while Rohit edged an oncoming delivery onto his stumps for 13 runs.

Kohli’s slump in form was laughed aside by Rohit.

“Not making a hundred is another thing but he made two fifties in the series in South Africa so I don’t see there is anything wrong and team management is not at all worried about that,” he said.

After a 26-ball stay, Dhawan, who returned to the team after recovering from Covid-19 along with Iyer, was dismissed for ten.

But Iyer and Pant, the right-left batting combo, got to work rebuilding the innings and attacking the West Indies bowlers.

Chahar, who batted at number eight, played an attacking knock alongside Sundar, putting up 53 runs for the seventh wicket before being caught behind by Holder, who finished off the tail.

After Siraj caught Shai Hope lbw for five in the fourth over, the West Indies never recovered and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals.

Nicholas Pooran made 34 and Odean Smith smashed 36 off 18 balls as stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran led the side after regular captain Kieron Pollard missed the final two matches owing to a niggle.

“It (batting) does need urgent attention because it has just lost us the last two games,” West Indies coach Phil Simmons said in the post-match press conference.

“Just a year ago we were cruising to 280-290 against Sri Lanka. So the batting is a huge concern and people should stand up and make sure that they are batting for West Indies.”

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ruled out vice-captain KL Rahul and Axar Patel from the forthcoming three Twenty20 matches.

During fielding, Rahul, who scored 49 in India’s second ODI, suffered a left hamstring strain. Patel is nearing the end of his recovery after recovering from Covid.

Deepak Hooda and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been named as replacements for the T20s, which begin on Wednesday.

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