Rahane, Kohli spur India to massive win
Ajinkya Rahane’s third One-Day International century and a blazing 87 by Virat Kohli helped India take a 1-0 lead over Windies in the five-match One-Day International series with a comfortable 105-run win in the second game at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain on Sunday.
After Rahane's 103 and Kohli's 66-ball master class powered India to a formidable total of 310 for 5 in a match reduced to 43 overs per side due to early morning rain, Windies was restricted to 205 for 6 when it ran out of time. Shai Hope's attacking 81 went in vain as Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist spinner, picked up three wickets in his first bowl in 50-over international cricket.
After India was put in to bat in overcast conditions following a two-hour delay, Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan (63) set the tone with a 114-run opening stand. It was the second successive century stand for the opening pair this series.
Ashley Nurse, the off-spinner, deceived Dhawan and had him stumped in the 19th over but Kohli picked up the baton and added 97 for the second wicket with Rahane.
Rahane reached three figures with a cover-driven boundary off Miguel Cummins but the bowler got his revenge in the same over when he got through an ungainly heave to hit the stumps. Rahane’s innings occupied 104 deliveries and was embellished by two sixes and ten fours.
The dismissal was followed by an effortless assault by Kohli, who took charge although strokeplay was not all that easy.
He seemed set for another century but was caught at long-on by Nurse off Alzarri Joseph in the penultimate over after a knock that saw four big sixes and as many fours.
The home side’s indiscipline in the field was encapsulated in a miserable final over delivered by Jason Holder. The Windies captain conceded 20 runs and had to be pulled out of the attack with one ball left as he bowled two no-balls above waist height.
In Windies' chase, Hope was the lone warrior. After receiving a promotion to the top of the order, his aggressive innings off 88 balls with three sixes and five hours kept the slim hopes alive until he fell lbw to Kuldeep.
The greatest damage was done at the start of the chase by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The pacer struck in the first and third overs of the innings, accounting for Kieran Powell and Jason Mohammed, to leave Windies at 4 for 2. Hope and Evin Lewis rebuilt with a third-wicket stand of 89 before Kuldeep ended the stand by dismissing the latter to kill the chase.
Kuldeep conceded 32 runs off his first four overs before having Lewis stumped. He then added the scalps of Hope and Holder to end with figures of 3 for 50 and complete a perfect day for India.
The teams now move to Antigua for the third ODI in North Sound on June 30. The first ODI had been abandoned due to rain in Port of Spain after India had reached 199 for 3 in 39.2 overs.