Guwahati: Centuries from Amir Jangoo (114), Shai Hope (104) and John Campbell (101) helped the West Indies rewrite their ODI record books by posting an imposing 405/7 in their allotted 50 overs against India in the second ODI here at the ACA Stadium on Wednesday.
The tourists’ previous best score in the format was 389 against England in St George’s in 2019, as they crossed the 400-run mark for the first time. With dew expected to settle in later in the evening and render bowling difficult under lights, India will rely heavily on short boundaries and a quick outfield to script a massive chase, provided they keep wickets in hand through the powerplay.
Earlier, the West Indies batters produced a sensational display of power-hitting. Campbell set the tone in the powerplay en route to a dazzling 101 off 68 balls, laced with nine fours and five sixes. After Campbell pulverised the off-colour Indian bowling line-up, skipper Hope capitalised on two dropped catches when on 15 and 27 to notch up a century of his own – his 104 off 94 balls was studded with eight fours and three sixes.
Jangoo then provided the final flourish by accelerating dramatically from 59 off 54 balls to complete a rampant 70-ball hundred. His knock of 114 came in just 77 balls and was studded with 13 fours and three sixes.
The Indian pace trio of Prasidh Krishna, debutant Auqib Nabi, and Gurnoor Brar bore the brunt of the onslaught, while spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav failed to stem the run flow until late in the innings. Although the West Indies slowed down slightly in the death overs, thus preventing the total from crossing the 420-mark, India face a steep task ahead.
Prasidh Krishna started with a maiden, but the innings turned quickly once Campbell found his range. Auqib Nabi, making his ODI debut, was taken for 17 runs in the fourth over by Campbell. Keacy Carty fell for nine in the fifth over when Naman Dhir held a diving catch at cover point off Prasidh, after the third umpire confirmed the fingers were under the ball.
Shai Hope walked in and Campbell kept going as Prasidh conceded 22 in the seventh over, with the latter hitting a six and three fours, as the West Indies reached 50 in 6.1 overs. Campbell brought up his fifty in 29 balls, the fastest for West Indies against India in ODIs, and added another six off Gurnoor Brar in the following over, apart from carting Dhir for boundaries.
After the West Indies closed the power-play at 96/1, Campbell then took only 65 balls to reach his hundred, the second fastest by a West Indian in ODIs, but was out for 101 when he top-edged a pull off Brar to deep square leg. Hope, meanwhile, was dropped on 15 by Kuldeep off his own bowling and on 27 by Virat Kohli at mid-wicket.
He reached his fifty in 53 balls and then got his fourth ODI century against India off 89 deliveries. He fell for 104 when Kuldeep, who had gone wicketless until then, forced a slog and Nabi took a simple catch at third man. Jangoo was steady in his strokeplay and went from 59 off 54 balls to 100 off 70 deliveries. He cut Naman, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja square on the off side repeatedly.
Though Sherfane Rutherford skied Brar to substitute Yashasvi Jaiswal for a golden duck, and Jangoo fell after cutting Jadeja to Ruturaj Gaikwad at backward point. By that stage the West Indies had three centurions in one ODI innings, only the sixth such instance in the format’s history.
Kuldeep had Keemo Paul caught at long-on, and got his 200th ODI wicket in 123 games – only Mohammed Shami (104) has reached the mark in fewer matches among Indians. Jadeja removed Alzarri Joseph by having him caught at deep mid-wicket, but Roston Chase (29 not out off 25) and Shamar Joseph (14 not out off 8) ensured a big finish by adding 36 runs from the last five overs to take the West Indies past 400.
India’s attack took a heavy beating. Nabi conceded 84 runs, the most by an Indian bowler on ODI debut, going past Karsan Ghavri’s 83 against England at Lord’s in 1975. Brar, Jadeja and Kuldeep took two scalps each, but had high economy rates. Dhir, who bowled six overs, twisted his left ankle and limped off, as India will be hugely worried over the lack of penetration and impact created by their pacers in consecutive games.
Brief Scores: West Indies 405/7 in 50 overs (Amir Jangoo 114, Shai Hope 104, John Campbell 101; Kuldeep Yadav 2-65, Ravindra Jadeja 2-75) against India
(IANS)
