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Will West Indies avoid a 0-3 defeat? © BCCI
INDIA COMPLETE 3-0 SWEEP
West Indies batters surrendered meekly once again and go down by 96 runs. Prasidh Krishna was once again exceptional while Kuldeep Yadav too enjoyed his outing in the India colours to ensure the West Indies chase never got going.
Set 266, West Indies lost three wickets inside the first five overs and that set the tone for India's dominance. Mohammed Siraj struck first when he had Shai Hope lbw while Deepak Chahar removed Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks to put India on top. Darren Bravo and Nicholas Pooran scored 43 off 49 for the fourth wicket and that was the only stand of substance in the innings.
With early wickets in the bag, India were able to attack and Rohit Sharma took full advantage of the situation. Prasidh struck in his third over - the 13th of the innings - when Bravo was caught at second slip by Virat Kohli. In his fourth, the pacer had Jason Holder nipped out and caught at first slip to leave West Indies reeling. Two balls later, Kuldeep Yadav handed Fabian Allen a duck and then got Pooran caught at first slip to end any hopes of a West Indies comeback.
With the IPL auction approaching, Odean Smith had the additional motivation to showcase his range-hitting skills and he put that to good use. He first struck two fours against Kuldeep and then followed them with consecutive sixes against the spinner in the 21st over to race to 21 off 7. Smith was dropped once by Suryakumar Yadav and eventually smashed 36 off 18 before falling to Siraj.
Eight down
Odean Smith wanted to have some fun and he did entertain. Smashed 36 off 18 but falls to Siraj as India close in on series sweep.
West Indies 122 for 8
Seven down
Kuldeep is enjoying his outing in India colours and now has dismissed the West Indies captain. Tossed up outside off and Pooran got the outside edge. Easy catch for Rohit at first slip.
West Indies 86 for 7
Big wicket
Prasidh strikes again and he's removed Holder this time. Length ball and Holder poked at that one, outside edge lands with Rohit at first slip. Two balls later, Kuldeep Yadav removes Allen for a duck. West Indies lose a review as well.
West Indies 77 for 6
Prasidh opens his account
Bravo and Pooran were looking to rebuild this innings but Prasidh has removed the former. Outside off and it took the outside edge. Kohli was at second slip and a straight-forward catch for him.
West Indies 68 for 4
Powerplay done - West Indies 47 for 3
Chahar on fire
And it's Brooks this time. Three down for not much on the board. Full this time from Chahar and Brooks slices the ball straight to point.
West Indies 25 for 3
Two down
Chahar has King now and West Indies have lost their openers early. Moved away and took the outside edge and Suryakumar Yadav made no mistake.
West Indies 25 for 2
Siraj strikes
Brandon King survived a DRS challenge last over but Siraj gets Hope in the fourth over. Length ball and nipped back in to trap Hope in front. Given lbw and he doesn't opt for a review. The replays show the ball was missing the stumps.
West Indies 19 for 1
Brandon King and Shai Hope will open the batting for West Indies. Chahar will bowl the first over ...
WEST INDIES SET 266
India were struggling after losing three wickets in the powerplay before Pant and Iyer made 110 for the fourth wicket.
Rohit Sharma picked up boundaries to the on side but was bowled in the fourth over. Two balls later, Virat Kohli's poor run continued as he flicked a leg side ball to the 'keeper. It was the second time in the series that Alzarri Joseph managed to dismiss both Rohit and Kohli in the same over.
Shikhar Dhawan took some time to opening his account but got going with a six against Kemar Roach. However, he fell to Odean Smith - caught at first slip - as India were left in a wobble. Pant eventually scored at a strike rate of more than 100 but made a slow and watchful start. It was in the 14th over that he got going with a boundary against Smith. After losing three wickets in the opening ten, India played out the next 20 overs without losing one.
Iyer got to his half-century first and Pant completed his in the 29th over off 47 balls. Pant was picking boundaries at will and looked in good touch to pick up his maiden ODI ton. However, after striking a boundary against Hayden Walsh, he tried to cut a ball too close and was caught behind. Suryakumar Yadav made six and also fell on the next ball after striking a boundary as Iyer was left with a rebuilding job once again.
Walsh struck again in the 38th over to remove Iyer - for 80 off 111 - as the batter was caught at long-on trying to up the ante. Deepak Chahar struck four fours and two sixes during his run-a-ball 38 to push India over 250 while Washington Sundar held one end up to give him company. Jason Holder holder chipped in with quick wickets of Chahar and Kuldeep in the death over to dent India a touch but the hosts managed to once again post a fighting total.
India wobble
A boundary and then a wicket next ball once again for India. This time Suryakumar Yadav falls - caught at point - trying to take on Allen.
India 164 for 5
Pant falls
Not today. Pant looked good during his dominating half-century but the wait continues for his maiden ODI ton. Too close to cut and Pant is caught behind. Walsh strikes after being struck for a four.
India 152 for 4 in 30 overs
100-run stand
Both Iyer and Pant now have raised their half-centuries. The boundaries are flowing and India now have a solid platform to launch from. Remember, West Indies have struggled to bat all 50 overs. Chasing a big score will mean more pressure on the batters. India setting up to go close to 300 now.
India 144 for 3
25 overs done - India 119 for 3
50-run stand
After losing three inside the first ten, India have played out the next ten overs without losing a wicket. Pant and Iyer have raised a half-century stand to help India recover.
India 94 for 3 in 21 overs
Powerplay done - India 42 for 3
Odean Smith comes into the attack and strikes third ball. Short and wide, Dhawan gets an outside edge and is caught at third slip.
Two in two
A duck for Virat Kohi and his poor run continues. Full and down the leg side, Kohli went for the flick and got a small edge. Easy catch for the 'keeper and India have been rattled early.
India 16 for 2
Joseph strikes
Rohit was looking good but falls to a rash shot. Outside off and Rohit wanted to slam that past cover. Gets a big inside edge and loses his middle stump. West Indies have the early breakthrough they needed.
India 16 for 1
Rohit and Dhawan to open, Roach has the ball and we are all set ...
TOSS - Four changes for India and they will bat first. Chahal, Rahul, Shardul and Hooda miss out.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (w), Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
West Indies: Shai Hope (w), Brandon King, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Nicholas Pooran (c), Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Odean Smith, Alzarri Joseph, Hayden Walsh, Kemar Roach.
Hello and welcome to the live blog of the third and final ODI between India and West Indies. Before we get cracking, here's the preview of the contest from Bharat R -
"We don't mind losing a few games while trying out a few things. Because it is important to look at the long term goals. We will see what works out well for the team combination (for the final ODI)," Rohit Sharma said after India wrapped up the three-match ODI series against the West Indies with a resounding win in the second game.
Rohit and Co. know that they have to evaluate the players based on how they react to different situations. In the second game, the home side decided to experiment by opening the batting with Rishabh Pant in an attempt to take advantage of the first PowerPlay. Even though the move seems to be a one-off, it gives an indicator that the think-tank is looking to experiment in order to zoom in on the right combination.
The hosts certainly have enough positives to take from the series. Mohammed Siraj bowled with nous and discipline in the first match while Prasidh Krishna has displayed a few more gears to his bowling, bagging a four-for. KL Rahul, who returned for the second game, batted in the middle order and looked in fine touch while facing the West Indies pace trio. His ability to change gears against hit-the-deck bowlers as well as spinners makes him an ideal candidate to bat in the middle order. Suryakumar Yadav too has made use of his opportunities so far. If anything, Virat Kohli would like to convert some of his starts into a hundred. Rohit also would hope to make a substantial contribution.
At the other end, the West Indies camp would be ruing a missed opportunity to level the series. Kemar Roach, Odean Smith and Alzarri Joseph had bowled zestful spells to lay the platform for the batters to provide finishing touches. Unfortunately, once again a familiar knot tied them down and that was the top order failing to click. Even though Shamarh Brooks and Akeal Hosein made useful contributions, the duo had too much to do. The West Indies need a batting renaissance and it has to happen soon.
The one silver lining for the visitors was Smith shining brightly. With a relatively short run-up, he can generate a good burst of pace. It can take time for a batter's muscle memory to adjust to a bowler who bowls at speeds in excess of 140 kph with a short run-up. Smith also showcased glimpses of his hitting prowess lower down the order. In fact, in the recently-concluded ODI series versus Ireland, one of his massive hits had dented the car of West Indies' fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell.
A victory in the final game of the series would revitalise the West Indies camp ahead of the T20Is. There are also 10 World Cup Super League points up for grabs.