Jason Holder helps Windies stay alive

Skipper’s maiden fivewicket haul powers side to 11run win over India and stay alive in fivematch series

NORTHSOUND(ANTIGUA): Good performance begets fan following and the way West Indies carved their way back into the fourth ODI made it evident.

India had restricted the hosts to 189/9 in 50 overs and it all looked over for the home side despite their getting early breakthroughs. But as MS Dhoni struggled to time the ball and a 54-run partnership between him and Ajinkya Rahane ended, triggering a flurry of wickets, the crowd improved to 800-1000.

From a corner, a man in pink T-shirt kept egging the boys on, asking a fielder at long on to ‘move in, get in’ as Kuldeep Yadav struggled to connect the ball. West Indian fans, slighted by lowly Afghanistan recently, were finally beginning to smell blood after Ravindra Jadeja had holed out to long-on.

The last nail in the coffin came when Dhoni, after a hard-earned half-century that took him 108 balls, tried to smash over long-on but was caught off an impressive Kesrick Williams ,who had been bowling off-cutters.

India needed 14 off six balls and it was too much for the tail which had just Kuldeep, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami.

The crowd went berserk, most breaking into an impromptu jig, and the brass band that looked like playing a tune commonly heard in religious processions in India, upped the beat.

Soon victory was theirs as Shami hit one straight to longoff. West Indies had won by 11 runs, a close match where they did well to hold their nerve. But to be honest both teams played poorly and it was a case of who was worse on the day.

The much reviled skipper Jason Holder was the hero, picking a five-wicket haul.

India had begun poorly, losing Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli early. Soon Dinesh Karthik, who had replaced Yuvraj Singh, too fell but Rahane and Dhoni set about building the innings. Dhoni was slow but was doing the job.

But after Rahane fell, India lost track and none of the big-hitters like Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya came good as West Indies stuck to a line. While captain Holder took 5/27, scalping Kohli and the tail, Williams was impressive with off-cutters as Indians struggled to time the ball.

Earlier, the top five West Indies batsmen got starts but couldn’t go on. It seemed they weren’t mentally there and didn’t have a clue how to build an innings.

ELECTING TO BAT

The hosts won the toss and elected to bat, hoping to put pressure on India, after bowling first in the last two games saw them lose badly.

The start was cautious as they put on 57 runs in 17 overs, well below acceptable standards. But with wickets in hand, they fancied the chance of putting up a decent total.

However, the Indians struck with Hardik Pandya as Kyle Hope tried to hit out, but only managing to hole out.

Soon, Kuldeep Yadav effected twin blows.

As Darren Ganga, the former West Indies batsman said, “They are struggling to read the line. They are playing inside the line when they need to cover it up. The fact that there aren’t many chinaman bowlers in the Caribbean playing domestic cricket adds to the mystery.”

Pandya and Umesh Yadav then ran through the middle order to leave them tottering at 179/8.