Bridgetown (Barbados): Ishan Kishan (55) struck his second successive half-century but India failed to capitalise on a good start on a difficult pitch that offered variable bounce to be all out for 181 in 40.5 overs in the second ODI against West Indies here on Saturday.
In a match that was twice interrupted by rain but did not lose any overs, India made a hash of things after the visitors were off to a good start thanks to opener Ishan Kishan, who struck a run-a-ball 55, his second after the 52 in the first match that India won.
Kishan and Shubman Gill raised 90 runs for the opening wicket but the West Indies capitalised on the juice offered by the wicket that was slow but offered bounce too. Romario Shepherd (3-37) and Gudakesh Motie (3-36) were the best West Indies bowlers while Alzerri Joseph claimed 2-35 in seven overs. The West Indies also fielded well, as they picked up some superb catches and did not allow the Indians many opportunities to make a comeback in the match.
But disaster struck India just before the first rain interruption midway through their innings when the visitors lost two wickets off successive deliveries, slumping to 113/5 in the 25th over from 95/2 in the 18th over. The experiments India tried in this match did not work out and they fell short by at least 40 runs on a difficult wicket.
Stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya (7), leading the side as Rohit Sharma and senior batter Virat Kohli have been rested, tried to pull a bouncer around shoulder height from Jayden Seales but got it straight to Brandon King at midwicket. Pandya was the fourth batter to get out in the last ball of the 24th over.
Sanju Samson (9) got out off the first delivery of the 25th over as he edged legspinner Yannic Cariah to King in the slips, getting squared up as he shaped up to hit it square and the ball spun and bounced and took the edge.
India had made a good start after West Indies skipper Shai Hope elected to bowl first, as the two openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill (34) raised 90 runs for the first wicket. Ishan struck a run-a-ball 55, hitting six boundaries and one six. This is his second successive half-century after the 52 in the opening match of the series.
Kishan, who survived a close run-out attempt and a hit on his hand by a sharply rising delivery from Alzarri Joseph, completed his fifty off 51 balls, hitting five boundaries and one six. He hammered Joseph for boundaries off successive deliveries in the eighth over and drove Mayers gloriously past the bowler in the previous over. A ramp shot off a short wide one by Alzarri Joseph got him another four before hammered Motie for a six over long-on in the 15th over.
But he got out just when India were looking up to him to get a big one considering the ease with which he was batting.
Gill was the first to go while trying to open up after a sedate start as he tried to hit Gudakesh Motie out of the ground but was caught by Alzarri Joseph a couple of steps inside the rope. Axar Patel, sent ahead of Hardik Pandya failed too.
India lost two quick wickets again after a 30-minute rain interruption as Ravindra Jadeja (10) and Suryakumar Yadav (24) got out, after repairing the innings a bit by adding 33 runs for the sixth wicket. Jadeja was caught by Yannic Cariah off Romario Shepherd.
Yadav, who looked in good form and was going nearly at run-a-ball pace coming in at No.7, fell to Motie, trying to raise the scoring rate after they were kept quiet by the West Indies bowlers,
Shardul Thakur contributed 16 runs off 22 balls but the Indian tail did not last for long as India slumped to 167/8 in the 38th over.
Brief scores:
India 181 all out in 40.5 overs (Ishan Kishan 55, Shubman Gill 34, Suryakumar Yadav 24; Romario Shepherd 3-37, Gudakesh Motie 3-36) against West Indies.
(IANS)
