KOCHI: West Indies put behind an acrimonious pay dispute with their Board to spank number one ranked India by a huge margin of 124 runs in the first one-dayer to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series here on Wednesday.
The Caribbeans, who were on the verge of boycotting the ODI, rode on Marlon Samuels’ career-best equalling 126 not out to post 321 for six and then shot out the Indians for 197 in 41 overs in a rather one-sided contest at the Nehru Stadium.
India paid the price for some mediocre bowling and shoddy batting as they were outplayed by the crisis-hit visiting team in all departments of the game to suffer a heavy defeat.
Indian bowlers gave away too many runs at the second part of West Indies innings to allow the visitors pile up a big total after being put into bat and then the much-vaunted home batsmen, except for Shikhar Dhawan (68), failed to fire on a batting pitch.
Most of Indian batsmen were out on poor shot selection and they could not stitch any substantial partnership in the face of some tight bowling by the visiting bowlers, the highest being the 49 in 8.4 overs for the opening wicket between Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane (24). Dhawan’s scratchy 68 came from 92 balls with the help of nine fours.
Ravindra Jadeja (33 not out) was the other Indian batsman who scored more than 20 runs.
West Indies, even without their mystery spinner Sunil Narine, could tie down the top Indian batsmen who failed to get the runs when required.
Chasing a huge target of 322 for a win, India could not get to a good start as Rahane was run out in a bizarre mixed-up in the ninth over with just 49 on board.
Rahane tapped the length ball off Ravi Rampaul on the pads between short fine leg and square leg and after taking the first run quickly, he wanted a second and continued to run hard. But, Dhawan went back after taking a step and both found themselves at the keeper’s end and Rahane had to depart for the dressing room.
PTI
West Indies innings
DR Smith b Jadeja 46
DJ Bravo* c Dhawan b Mohammed Shami 17
DM Bravo c Dhawan b Mishra 28
MN Samuels not out 126
D Ramdin† c Jadeja b Mohammed Shami 61
KA Pollard b Mohammed Shami 2
AD Russell c Kohli b Mohammed Shami 1
DJG Sammy not out 10
Extras 30
Total 321/6
India innings
AM Rahane run out (Smith/†Ramdin/Rampaul) 24
S Dhawan b Samuels 68
V Kohli c Sammy b Taylor 2
AT Rayudu c Benn b Russell 13
SK Raina b DJ Bravo 0
MS Dhoni*† b Sammy 8
RA Jadeja not out 33
B Kumar c Sammy b Samuels 2
A Mishra lbw b DJ Bravo 5
MM Sharma c Taylor b Rampaul 8
Mohammed Shami b Rampaul 19
Extras 15
Total 197/10