Virat Kohli led from the front as India beat the West Indies by four wickets in the third ODI in Cuttack on Sunday. With the series on the line, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul gave the hosts a solid start as they kept the West Indies bowlers at bay in the first powerplay and scored 59 runs for no loss, in reply to a stiff target of 316 runs. Rohit and Rahul both completed their respective half-centuries and put on a 122-run stand for the opening wicket. After Rohit's departure, Rahul and Kohli steadied the Indian innings with a crucial 45-run partnership for the second wicket. After Rahul got out on 77, Kohli took charge of the innings and completed his 55th ODI half-century. However, the Indian skipper couldn't take his side across the finish line but Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur added crucial runs down the order to help India clinch the series 2-1, coming from behind.
Highlights Between India vs West Indies 3rd ODI, straight from Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
- 22:04 (IST)Goodbye and take care!India end the year on a high as they clinched the three-match series 2-1. Hope you enjoyed our coverage as much as we did bringing it to you. India next take on Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series, starting January 5. We will be back. Till then goodbye and take care!
- 21:44 (IST)India win the series 2-1!Ravindra Jadeja steals a quick single but the West Indies have a direct-hit. The umpire go upstairs but the TV umpire has signalled a no ball, meaning India have won the match and the series, irrespective of the run out decision. The replay shows Thakur had made his ground in time. India have won the match by four wickets and the three-match series 2-1.
- 21:37 (IST)Four!Keemo Paul bowls a slower bouncer and Ravindra Jadeja gets enough bat on the ball which takes it to the fine leg fence.
- 21:33 (IST)Four!Shardul Thakur gets the second boundary of the over. This time using his string bottom-hand towards long-on and deep mid-wicket.
- 21:32 (IST)SIX!Shardul Thakur pulls and pulls it well. The ball goes over the fence for a six.
- 21:30 (IST)Wide!Sheldon Cottrell bowls a well-directed bouncer but it has gone over Shardul Tahkur's head. The leg umpire has signalled a wide!
- 21:28 (IST)Wide!Sheldon Cottrell decides to bowl a slower ball and gets it completely wrong, the ball goes down leg stump and the umpire stretches his arms to signal a wide.
- 21:27 (IST)22 needed off 18 balls!It's an open game now as both the teams have an equal chance to win the game.
- 21:24 (IST)Four!Keemo Paul bowls an overpitch delivery and Shardul Thakur drives it cleanly through covers to open his account with a cracking boundary.
- 21:22 (IST)Keemo Paul removes Virat Kohli!It was a nothing delivery from Keemo Paul and Virat Kohli gets the inside edge of the bat and on to his own stumps. The Indian skipper's innings comes to an end at 85 runs.
- 21:17 (IST)Four!Ravindra Jadeja goes inside out and lofts the ball over cover. The ball races away to the fence after taking a couple of bounces inside the ropes.
- 21:16 (IST)50-run partnership!Ravindra Jadeja takes a single on the last ball to retain the strike and also bring up the 50-run stand for the sixth wicket.
- 21:15 (IST)Four!Jason Holder bowls a short ball, angling in to Ravindra Jadeja and he pulled it comfortably along the ground and collects four valuable runs.
- 21:11 (IST)Risk-free seven runs from 44th over!Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja are batting with so much maturity that they collected seven runs from 44th over of the innings without playing any risky shot.
- 21:07 (IST)Four!What a shot! It was not a bad delivery but Virat Kohli thrashed it using his wrists and strong bottom-hand in the gap between two fielders. That was a high quality shot and not many batsmen can play that to such perfection.
- 21:04 (IST)Four!Khary Pierre offers slight width and Virat Kohli uses the depth of his crease and guides it towards the third man fence to collect a boundary.
- 20:59 (IST)250 up for India!Virat Kohli taps the ball towards short mid-wicket and steals a quick single. Kohli wanted second but Jadeja sent him back in time and rightly so.
- 20:56 (IST)Five wides!Sheldon Cottrell bowls down leg side, the ball beats both the batsman as well as the keeper and races away to the fence, gifting India five easy runs.
- 20:52 (IST)India 237/5 after 40 overs!India need 79 runs to win the match and the series but will they be able to do it?
- 20:49 (IST)Four!Sheldon Cottrell ends his over with a poor ball and Ravindra Jadeja pounces on it and works it towards fine leg and opens his account with a first-ball boundary.
- 20:46 (IST)Cottrell removes Jadhav!Sheldon Cottrell deceives Kedar Jadhav with a slower ball, the ball came late and he played the short way too early. The ball beat his inside edge and went on the stumps.
- 20:43 (IST)Four!Sheldon Cottrell bowls full on the leg stump and Virat Kohli crafts it to backward square leg to start the over with a boundary.
- 20:42 (IST)Four!Kedra Jadhav taps the ball towards the third-man fence and puts the fielder under pressure by running the first run hard. It resulted in the fielder making a mess of it and Jadhav collects his first boundary.
- 20:40 (IST)
- 20:35 (IST)Virat Kohli gets to 55th ODI fifty!Virat Kohli helps the ball on the leg side behind square for a single and brings up his 55th ODI fifty. He is key to India's run chase and needs to bat deep.
- 20:33 (IST)Runout chance! NOT OUT!Virat Kohli takes a quick single to retain the strike. A direct hit forces the umpire to go upstairs but Kedar Jadhav was well beyond the popping crease.
- 20:27 (IST)Pant rattles his own stumps!Slight width from Keemo Paul and Rishabh Pant tries to cut it with an angled bat and pays the price as the ball rattles his stumps. Pant departs cheaply, leaving India in big trouble.
- 20:24 (IST)Four!Keemo Paul bowls towards Rishabh Pant's hips and he helps it towards fine leg fence with a deft touch.
- 20:22 (IST)Four!Jason Holder bowls full and Virat Kohli drives it towards mid-off and the ball runs away to the fence in no time.
- 20:17 (IST)Iyer departs cheaply!Keemo Paul bowls short and Shreyas Iyer miscues his pull shot and Alzarri Joseph, at fine leg, takes a good low catch as the ball was dying in front of him but he still manages to get his hands underneath.
- 20:13 (IST)Four!Poor bowling from Keemo Paul allows Shreyas Iyer to free his hands and does that nicely as he plays it in the air towards third-man and collects his first boundary.
- 20:09 (IST)Back to back fours for Kohli!Alzarri Joseph tries to push Virat Kohli on the backfoot with his short of length balls but Kohli dealt with it in some style as he pulled back-to-back deliveries ferociously for consecutive boundaries.
- 20:01 (IST)KL Rahul departs for 77!KL Rahul gets crammed for space as he tries to pull Alzarri Joseph, ball kisses his gloves and goes straight to keeper. India 167/2 after 30 overs.
- 19:52 (IST)SIX!Just a little flick off the pads from KL Rahul and goes deep into the stands. The ball was pitched on the middle and leg and Rahul intentionally decided to go aerial this time and got the maximum result.
- 19:49 (IST)Boucer from Joseph!Alzarri Joseph comes into the attack and starts his new over with a well-directed bouncer and Kohli deals with it with great maturity as he pulls it along the ground and completes a single.
- 19:48 (IST)Four!Keemo Paul bowls short and wide and Virat Kohli transfers his body weight onto the backfoot and smashes it nonchalantly through cover for first boundary in three overs.
- 19:43 (IST)West Indies bowlers pull things back!Things have slowed down a bit in last few overs as the West Indian bowlers have not conceded easy runs.
- 19:36 (IST)Four!Virat Kohli drives and does it so well that the ball races away to the fence with a mere gentle touch. He leaned forward and dissected the gap to perfection.
- 19:30 (IST)Four!Khary Pierre bowls full and KL Rahul drives it through cover where fielder fails to get his hands to it. The ball has enough momentum which takes it to the fence.
- 19:26 (IST)Holder removes Rohit!Jason Holder bowls a good length delivery which entices Rohit Sharma to launch a drive. He does exactly that but edges it straight to the keeper. West Indies have the first breakthrough through Holder.