Bravo gives WI 2nd consolation win but India pocket series 3-2

By Ashish Shukla
Kingston (Jamaica), Jun 17 (PTI) Darren Bravo's
career-best 86 outshone Virat Kohli's 94-run knock as India
lost by seven wickets to the West Indies in the fifth and
final one-dayer but managed to clinch the series 3-2 here.
Chasing a target of 252, Bravo's clean-hitting helped
West Indies reach the target in 48.4 overs yesterday.
Interestingly, West Indies had lost the first three ODIs
against Pakistan in the earlier series as well before winning
the last two.
Cheered by local hero Chris Gayle from the stands, Bravo
(86, 99 balls, 3x4, 6x6), who many believe is a 'Brian Lara
clone', launched into Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and
Amit Mishra hitting as many as five out of his six sixes off
the two.
The Batting Powerplay proved to be the turning point for
Windies as Indian bowlers gave away 57 runs between overs 43
and 47.
When Bravo was finally out in the 46th over with 39
still to get, Kieron Pollard (24, 13 balls, 3x4, 1x6) and
Marlon Samuels (28, 25 balls, 3x4) plundered 42 runs in only
3.3 overs to seal the issue.
Credit should also be given Ramnaresh Sarwan (75 retd
hurt, 94 balls, 5x4, 1x6) who anchored the innings to
perfection before he couldn't carry on due to cramps. Sarwan
and Bravo added 103 runs for the third wicket before the
right-hander retired hurt.
Bravo took his time to settle down but with wickets in
hand, he waited for the batting Powerplay to explode. The
other turning point was India losing seven wickets for 62 runs
despite Virat Kohli's solid 94.
Bravo sprang to life with two successive sixes off Ashwin
as he scored 15 runs in the 43rd over.
Mishra, the most consistent Indian bowler in the series,
met with similar fate as he too went for couple of sixes with
15 runs coming off it.
Vinay Kumar, who had a good first spell, went for 11 runs
reducing the target to 23 from the final three overs.
West Indies openers Lendl Simmons (6) and Adrian Barath
(17) fell cheaply before Sarwan and Bravo began their rescue
mission.
Earlier, when India batted it was a case of poor shot
selection by the middle and lower order batsmen after Kohli
(94, 104 balls, 10x4) along with Rohit Sharma (57, 72 balls,
2x4, 1x6) laid the foundation with a 110-run partnership for
the fourth wicket.
Coming in to bat in the fourth over, Kohli stayed put
till the 36th over to help India overcome early jitters
although a fantastic piece of fielding by Sarwan from the deep
robbed the batsman of a chance to score his sixth
international hundred.
Andre Russell was the pick of the West Indian bowlers,
grabbing four for 35 and his spell at the death earned him the
man-of-the-match award.
Indian openers Parthiv Patel (6) and Shikhar Dhawan (11)
were gone by the seventh over as West Indian quicks took full
advantage of the bouncy strip that was on offer.
Patel was hurried onto a pull shot by a Russell bouncer
and holed out at mid-wicket. Dhawan was done in by the extra
bounce as he was caught in the slips off Kemar Roach.
Kohli started by clipping Russell delightfully to
mid-wicket fence off the eighth ball he faced.
The next boundary was rather a streaky edge past slip off
Darren Sammy but he made it up with a delightful cover drive
in the West Indian skipper's fourth over.
Manoj Tiwary (22, 22 balls, 1x6, 1x4) looked in good
nick during his short stay and a six off Sammy which hit the
wooden roof of the club's bar was a breathtaking sight.
Tiwary though was unable to build on his start and edged
one from Pollard behind the stumps just before the first
drinks interval took place. His partnership with Kohli yielded
58 runs.
India now had the best batting passage of the innings as
their two best young batsmen put their wares out on display.
Both looked to hit down the ground and picked up runs
with ease as the 100 runs of the innings came in the 22nd
over.
Kohli was careful in his shot selection and hit fours off
leg-spinner Anthony Martin and Andre Russell in successive
overs.
Kohli first hit Martin through the backward point fence
and then punched Russell through the covers.
The Delhi lad reached his half century in the 23rd over
with a single off Martin having faced only 63 deliveries. He
celebrated it with a cheeky steer for four off Lendl Simmons.
Man of the series Rohit, having settled into a nice
groove at the other end, slammed a returning Roach over
midwicket for an effortless six in the 36th over.
Kohli departed in this very over when he flicked one to
fine leg and hurried back for a non-existent second. Sarwan's
throw was hard and accurate to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh who
found the batsman short of his crease.
Once Kohli was dismissed, there was virtually no
resistance from the other batsmen.
Skipper Suresh Raina played an ill-advised lofted shot to
be out in the deep off Pollard. He has often tried this shot
in the series with disastrous results. The stand-in captain
could manage only 74 runs in the series.
Rohit completed his third fifty of the series but was
cleaned by Martin trying an ugly heave. He hit two fours and a
six during his 72 ball knock.
Yusuf Pathan (30, 29 balls, 2x4, 1x6) looked confident
for the first time in the series but again his undoing was a
short ball that lifted from short of good length to kiss the
edge of his bat.
Russell then blew away the lower order as Amit Mishra (0)
was out trying a big hit, and Ishant Sharma was castled by a
yorker.