India crush Windies by 200 runs in final ODI, win series 2-1

West Indies flattered to level the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against India in Barbados on Saturday but deceived in the decider as they crumbled to a disheartening 200-run loss, and 2-1 series defeat, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, on Tuesday.

The result saw India extend their flawless head-to-head ODI series wins over West Indies to 13, since 2006. All in all, India shone with the bat and West Indies didn’t.

Sent into bat, the visitors were ruthless from the get-go as openers Shubman Gill (85) and Ishan Kishan (77) built a 143-run partnership in under 20 overs, and skipper Hardik Pandya (70) and Sanju Samson (50), bolstered their efforts to construct a strong total of 351/5.

In reply, West Indies never looked the role and were quickly broken down to an embarrassing 50/6 after 14 overs, which eventually amounted to all out.

The lone highlight of their chase was an attempted innings-saving, lower-order partnership of 55 between Gudakesh Motie and Alzarri Joseph, and Alick Athanaze’s knock of 32.

When India batted, openers Gill and Kishan targeted Jayden Sales’ pace and raced to 37/0 after six overs. Their partnership could have broken early on but Keacy Carty dropped Kishan at backward point in the second over.

Fellow fast bowler Alzarri Joseph replaced Seales in the attack but he was not spared, and neither was Kyle Mayers, as Gill smacked Joseph for three fours in the ninth over.

Even when Motie and Romario Shepherd switched up the bowling attack, neither opener was deterred and Kishan achieved his third consecutive series 50.

Kishan launched Shepherd over square leg for six, then edged past wicketkeeper Shai Hope for four the very next ball.

But Windies were rewarded in the next over, Yannic Cariah’s second, as Hope had Kishan stumped with the score on 143.

Eleven runs later, Joseph had new batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad play into the hands of Brandon King which brought some relief to the maroon fans. But in the next over, incoming batsman Sanju Samson lofted Cariah for two maximums.

Gill and Samson batted fearlessly and got to 223 before the latter was caught by Shimron Hetmyer at mid-off. The former perished 21 runs later, and Pandya and Samson carried them to 309 before Suryakumar Yadav (8 no) and Pandya closed off on 351/5.

Shepherd was the pick of the West Indian bowlers with 2/73 while Motie (1/38), Cariah (1/58) and Joseph (1/77) bagged one each.

Set a hefty target of 352 for victory, the hosts were quickly muzzled as King (duck) edged to wicketkeeper Kishan in the first over, Mayers (four) played on to his stumps and Hope (five) nicked one to Mukesh Kumar at first slip, to sink them to 17/3, in under seven overs.

Eighteen runs later, Carty (six), Hetmyer (four) and Shepherd (eight) perished in quick succession and plunged them to 50/6 after 14.

Athanaze again outshone his more experienced peers but when he and Cariah (19) were dismissed to make it 88/8, Joseph and Motie tried to save face. Despite playing some nice shots around the south venue, the 55-run partnership had run its course as Joseph was caught behind (143/9).

Seales and Motie could only add eight runs to their chase as the former was bowled with just over 14 overs to spare.

Indian fast bowler Shardul Thakur (4/37) was their chief destroyer with the ball while Kumar (3/30), Yadav (two) and Jaydev Unadkat (1/16) were also among the wickets.

Both teams will use Wednesday to rest up ahead of Thursday’s opening T20I match in Tarouba, from 10.30am.