India A vs West Indies A highlights: How Yuvraj and Co. lost the series 2-1

West Indies A beat India A by 45 runs in the third and final unofficial ODI in Bangalore to win the 3-match series 2-1 on Thursday. Chasing a challenging 313 to win, the Indians were restricted to 267 for 8 in their 50 overs.

 

Fifties from Baba Aparajith (78) and India A skipper Yuvraj Singh (61) went in vain as West Indian left-arm spinner Veeraswamy Permaul took 3 wickets for 55. Earlier, Windies batsman Kirk Edwards (104) became the third player in the series to score a hundred. India A left-arm bowler Jaydev Unadkat took 5 for 55 after the hosts decided to insert the visitors into bat.

 

The two teams will now meet a lone T20 match on Saturday, September 21. Catch the highlights from the final match, as they happened:

 

Veeraswamy Permaul strikes to remove Siddarth Kaul (6), who is caught by Ashley Nurse at deep long off. The hosts are 8 down for 251, needing further 62 to win in 18 balls. Jaydev Unadkat is the next man in, partnering R Vinay Kumar.

 

Wicket No.7 for the Windies as Shabaz Nadeem is bowled by V Permaul for just 6. Indians 234 for 7 after 43 overs, needing another 79 to win from 42 balls.

 

India A lose their sixth wicket with big-hitter Yusuf Pathan out bowled to Miguel Cummings for 18. R Vinay Kumar and Shabaz Nadeem are at the crease staring at a massive required run rate of more than 10 an over. Middle order batsman Kedar Jadhav was the fifth player to get out, when he was caught by Nikita Miller off Cummings. India are 228 for 6 after 42 overs, needing another 85 runs from 48 balls.

 

DOUBLE BLOW! The West Indians have bagged the big wickets of Yuvraj Singh and Baba Aparajith. The Indian A team skipper is bowled for 61 off 59 balls (4x4, 3x6). Ashley Nurse, who had a good shout for an LBW turned down, this time got the better of the pugnacious left-hander with a ball that drifted in and crashed into the stumps. Yuvraj was foxed as he played for the turn. Baba Aparajith is bowled by Veerasammy Permaul for 78 (6 balls). Permaul's arm ball breached Aparajith's defences. Yuvraj and Aparajith produced 112 runs for the third wicket. India are 181 for four after 33 overs. Kedar Jadhav (6) has been joined by Yusuf Pathan.  India need 132 runs more and the asking rate is a challenging 7.76. (Blog: Yuvraj and the over that changed everything)

Yuvraj Singh and Baba Aparajith are leading India A's run chase at Chinnaswamy by scoring fifties. India are 138 for 2 after 26 overs. The duo has produced 92 runs off 97 balls as the home team needs to score at over seven runs per over. Both batsmen are suffering from light cramps. Yuvraj was lucky to survive a close LBW shout against off-spinner Ashley Nurse when on 44. When on 40, Aparajith was caught on the long-off boundary by Andre Fletcher, but the West Indian stepped over the ropes. Aparajith was 'rewarded' with a six! Otherwise, both batsmen have looked confident. Yuvraj is batting on 55 (66th List half-century) and Aparajith is unbeaten on 50 (third List A 50).

Chasing 313 to win, India A lost two wickets in six balls to reel at 50 for two at the end of 10 overs. Robin Uthappa was run out and Naman Ojha edged to the wicket-keeper trying to cut Jonathan Carter. After a good start, a direct throw from mid-on ended Uthappa's innings (46/1). He was trying to steal a single. Uthappa scored 27 of 28 balls and hit three fours. Ojha, who was promoted up the batting order, lasted five balls and didn't score. Aparajith, batting on 17, has been joined by Yuvraj Singh, whose first scoring stroke was a boundary. This is a very special day for Yuvraj as it was on September 19 in 2007 T20 World Cup, he clubbed six sixes in a Stuart Broad over at Kingsmead, Durban. India have lot batting to come with Unmukt Chand, Kedar Jadhav and Yusuf Pathan waiting in the hut!

West Indies have scored an impressive 312 for 9 in 50 overs after Kirk Edwards scored his second List A century. Left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat took a career-best five for 55 as West Indies collapsed in a heap in the last three overs of their innings. Edwards slammed a run-a-ball 104 to escort West Indies A past the 300-mark. Edwards smashed 12 fours and three sixes. West Indies A scored 34 runs in the last five overs but lost four wickets as well. Unadkat bowled a good spell and accounted for Edwards, who went for the runs in the death.

West Indies were 282 for five after 45 overs. Leon Johnson struck his sixth List A fifty as the Caribbeans scored briskly in the slog overs. Johnson was out for 54 (42 balls, 4x4, 3x6). Andre Russell was out for 1. Jaydev Unadkat got both the wickets. But Kirk Edwards is batting on 95. He has been the man of the moment. West Indies have scored 71 runs in the last five overs.

Twenty-nine-year-old Kirk Edwards struck his sixth List A half-century as West Indies A staged a turnaround after losing the in-form Jonathan Carter. Edwards is batting on 70 off 83 balls as the visitors were 212 for three wickets at the end of the 40th over. A fourth-wicket stand of 66 runs between Edwards and Leon Johnson (30 not out off 34 balls) is keeping the Indians at bay. The right-handed Edwards has played nine Tests and nine ODIs for the West Indies. He has two Test hundreds.

WICKET! India under-19 off-spinner Baba Aparajith strikes in his first over and removes the dangerous Jonathan Carter in the 29th over. Trying to sweep a ball outside the leg-stump, the left-hander drags the ball onto his stumps. Carter is out for 35 (38 balls, 3 fours and a six off Yuvraj Singh). End of a solid third-wicket 66-run stand with Kirk Edwards (33). New man is Leon Johnson. West Indies 153/3 after 30 overs.

At the end of the 25th over, West Indies A are 116 for 2. Kirk Edwards (26 off 43 balls) and Jonathan Carter (14 off 22 balls) have put on 37 runs for the third wicket. The Caribbeans are slowly rebuilding. Carter had scored a brilliant century in the second match. Yuvraj Singh continue with the spin-pace option of Shahbaz Nadeem (2/22) and Siddarth Kaul. Good contest between bat and ball.

WICKET! Nadeem gets his second! On a charge now the left-arm orthodox bowler. Removes the well set Andre Fletcher lbw for 28. West Indies A now 79/2 in 15.4 overs.

WICKET! Shahbaz Nadeem looking impressive and getting his man Kieran Powell for 40, caught in slips by Robin Uthappa. Just a while ago, replays of the previous match showed Powell's catch being dropped playing a similar shot. Nadeem though is fortunate that Utahppa hangs on this time. West Indies 74/1 in 13.1 overs.

After 12 overs: West Indies A are off to a bright start at 66/0 and once again Yuvraj's decision to field has backfired. Skipper Kieran Powell is batting on 40 off 32 balls with 4 fours and a six while Andre Fletcher is much more cautious on 19 off 40 balls. Vinay Kumar has been particularly impressive with a bit of swing in the morning at Bengaluru while Siddarth Kaul, brought in for Narwal, has gone for 19 in his two. Spinners Shahbaz Nadeem and Yusuf Pathan have been introduced early.

While the West Indies are unchanged, Indians have made a couple of changes with Unmukt Chand and Sumit Narwal being dropped and Baba Aparajith and Siddarth Kaul being brought in.

While India A, led by Yuvraj Singh, were absolutely brilliant in the first unofficial ODI, thrashing West Indies A by 77 runs, they were mediocre to say the least in second outing losing by 55 runs.

It was not just Yuvraj though in the first game, with Mandeep Singh (67 off 78) and Yusuf Pathan (70* off 32) and 4 bowlers - Sumit Narwal, Vinay Kumar, Rahul Sharma and Yusuf - taking two wickets each, as the India hopefuls completed a commanding win.

Yuvraj might have committed an error in selecting to field in the second unofficial ODI but as a skipper he might have wanted to test the calibre of his team going into the final game. Counter-argument though can be that India A could have had the series done and dusted.

All went well for a while though in the second unofficial ODI with West Indies A 2-21 and then 4-112 in 28 overs. A counter-attacking century from Jonathan Carter though gave the visitors necessary impetus as India A just faded after that. Yuvraj, Unmukt Chand and Kedar Jadhav did try hard with the bat but could not build any partnerships to trouble West Indies side.

India A: Yuvraj Singh (captain), Baba Aparajith, Robin Uthappa, Kedar Jadhav, Naman Ojha (wk), Yusuf Pathan, Vinay Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Siddarth Kaul, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mandeep Singh.

West Indies A: Andre Fletcher, Kieran Powell (captain), KA Edwards, JL Carter, AD Russell, LR Johnson, DC Thomas (wk), AR Nurse, NO Miller, V Permaul, ML Cummins