Windies draw first blood

 The West Indies formed a happy, dancing huddle around Jerome Taylor and Darren Sammy after the duo combined to dismiss Virat Kohli.

Those who knew the patchy form of Kohli of late might have wondered about the animated celebration of the West Indies. But those who knew the pedigree of Kohli in chasing targets might have also realised the massiveness of the moment.

After Marlon Samuels’ superb hundred (126, 116b, 11x4, 4x6) led Windies to 321 for six in 50 overs, India needed someone to reciprocate. Kohli was the ideal candidate, but his stay lasted just five balls before edging Taylor to Sammy at first slip.

Unfortunately, there was no one to step in for the Delhi man as India were bundled out for 197 in 41 overs as the West Indies celebrated a 124-run win in the first one-dayer at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium on Wednesday.

Those who could have repaired the damage inflicted by Kohli’s early dismissal too fell by the wayside. Ajinkya Rahane was run out after a mix-up with Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu’s charge and chip had a horrible result, in-form Suresh Raina’s drive away from body saw timbers getting rattled, while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s last vestige of hope, played all over Sammy’s fuller length delivery as India slipped to 114 for five and to a point of no return.

Dhawan made a fighting 68 but Samuels castled him to end India’s fight for the night that belonged emphatically to the Jamaican. Before he hastened India’s fall with the ball, Samuels’ ebullience with the bat held the West Indian innings together. The scorecard might give the impression of an innings of frenetic hitting and innovations. But Samuels’ knock was anything but that.

Samuels hides a lot of elegance in his tall frame. It was no different this day as he systematically dismantled the Indians to carve his sixth ODI hundred. It became a tad sweeter for him as this was his comeback match after spending the last few months in the wilderness.
Earlier this year, the West Indies selectors had dropped Samuels midway through the series against New Zealand citing soured relationship with his team-mates. However, they picked him for the series against India.

Here, the management drafted him into the eleven too ahead of some youngsters, placing a truckload of faith on the troubled child. Perhaps, everyone was certain of another failed outing. But Samuels combined confidence, patience and skill to a nicety to carry West Indies on his barn door of shoulders.

Coming in after the dismissals of Bravo brothers – Dwayne and Darren – Samuels began quietly but his assurance was unmistakable. Opener Dwayne Smith (46 off 45 balls) and Darren Bravo had also provided a nice cushion for him with a second wicket stand of 64 that led the visitors to 98 in about 20 overs. Initially, Samuels allowed Bravo junior some freedom, probably to get a feeling of the conditions. A rather silly attempt to send Amit Mishra out of the ground ended Bravo’s stay.

But Samuels bloomed in the company of Denesh Ramdin, milking brilliant 165 runs in just 23.1 overs for the fourth wicket, lifting the Caribbeans from 120 for three to 285 for four, a point when Ramdin was dismissed after a crafty 59-ball 61.

In between, the left-right combination dished out a delightful duet. There were the mighty hits like Samuels’ two sixes in as many balls off leg-spinner Mishra, and Ramdin’s assault on pacer Mohit Sharma. However, their alliance was also about intelligent slices through the gaps on the field, especially between point, gully and third-man and clever running between the wickets.

Samuels soon reached the three-figure mark with a single off Ravindra Jadeja.  He stood in the middle of the pitch and let out a huge roar, signaling his return from the oblivion.

However, a sub par effort in the last five overs (41 runs for three wickets) ensured that West Indies wouldn’t reach a much higher total. But it proved sufficient for a big win.