Kohli’s hattrick of tons in vain as Windies draw level
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah takes four on return before visitors restrict India and win by 43 runs
PUNE: When Rishabh Pant edged to Shai Hope behind the stumps in the 32nd over, the 25,000-odd crowd at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium erupted. The cheer was for MS Dhoni, who came in with 114 required in the third ODI on Saturday.
Skipper Virat Kohli was on 78 off 88 balls and for the fans, a Kohli-Dhoni show seemed to be on. For Dhoni too it was perhaps the ideal scenario after being axed for the T20s.
Kohli upped the ante. Two fours off Kemar Roach and Fabian Allen helped in his relentless hunger for runs. It all seemed to be going fine. And then, Dhoni fell. Trying to steal a single, he edged behind.
There was now a threat Kohli might run out of partners. He was left with only his bowlers, who had earned him nine wickets to hold West Indies to 283, with Shai Hope scoring 95.
Kohli eventually made 107. India fell short by 43 runs, after being dismissed for 240 as Windies, after a tie, drew level 1-all with two games left. It was a fantastic knock by Kohli. Deliveries were dispatched in exquisite fashion. He reached his century in style, slamming one past the bowler for four.
A day earlier, chief selector MSK Prasad had said he expects Bhuvneshwar Kumar “to come good” in the absence of Hardik Pandya but Bhuvi, who had a miserable comeback leaking 70 runs, fell cheaply.
To add to India’s misery, Kohli was cleaned up by Marlon Samuels six deliveries later, driving the final nail in the Indian coffin.
It wasn’t a bad start for India. Jasprit Bumrah, also making a comeback after being rested for the first two ODIs, cleaned up the openers before Samuels fell cheaply again. Hope and Shimron Hetmeyr provided a brief fightback before Hetmyer fell to Kuldeep Yadav, Dhoni completing a lightning quick stumping.
Along with skipper Jason Holder, Hope demonstrated how to keep things simple while building a 76-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Laced with three sixes and six fours, he deserved a century but missed out by five runs. A loose shot ended Holder’s innings before Hope and debutant Fabian Allen were dismissed in the space of 15 deliveries.
While Hope went about his job well, holding back and accelerating, his knock had only done enough to help pull his side out of the initial mess. The challenging total was down to the heroics of Ashley Nurse, who scored a 22-ball 40 at No 9, including 19 off Bhuvneshwar in the 49th over.