WEST INDIES LOSE WHEN WINNING WAS EASIER
India win keeps final hopes alive
One-day international, Kuala Lumpur: India 162 (39.3 overs) bt West Indies 146 (41 overs) by 16 runs
The WEST INDIES again found a new way to lose when chasing a low total against India on Wednesday.
India kept alive their hopes of making the Kuala Lumpur tri-series alive by snatching a 16-run win over West Indies after bowling them out for only 146.
Dwayne Smith took 4-31 as the Indians made 162, with only Sachin Tendulkar (65) and Harbhajan Singh (37) battling.
The Windies slumped from 44-0 to 118-8 but with Brian Lara - who came in at nine - there they still had a chance.
However he was left stranded on 40 as Harbhajan (3-35) helped mop up the tail and India must now beat Australia.
The Windies had already qualified for the final and Smith enjoyed the responsibility of being handed the new ball by having skipper Rahul Dravid caught behind off the third ball of the game.
Anything can happen in cricket and we never gave up
Rahul Dravid
He also saw Virender Sehwag lose his off-stump, Suresh Raina edge to first slip and Yuvraj Singh nick behind.
Corey Collymore and Dwayne Bravo cleaned up Mahendra Dhoni and Ajit Agarkar, before Tendulkar rebuilt the innings patiently with the adventurous Harbhajan - until a second collapse.
Harbhajan was caught behind off Gayle and Tendulkar was run out when Marlon Samuels deflected a drive off Rudra Pratap Singh into the stumps.
Gayle beat the latter for pace and Munaf Patel was run out going for a suicidal third run two balls later to spell the end of a miserable batting effort.
India can now look forward to a crunch match against Australia
When Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Runako Morton made a solid start in reply the Indians were on their way out of the tournament.
But seamers Agarkar, Patel and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth took two wickets each to rip through the top and middle order.
Patel saw Chanderpaul spoon the ball to Sehwag at square-leg and Sarwan edge behind, before Morton did the same off Sreesanth, with Dhoni taking a juggling catch.
Agarkar, who bowled with pace and accuracy, trapped Samuels and Smith - who hit three of his first four balls for four before going lbw off the fifth, while Gayle went the same way to RP Singh.
A few guys are out of form and lack confidence
Brian Lara
Lara came out with the score 97-7 and gave them a glimmer of hope by crashing six fours in his 48-ball knock but he ran out of partners.
"Anything can happen in cricket and we never gave up," said Dravid.
"The boys were disappointed with their batting but we talked about not giving up and trying to get some early wickets.
"We knew the West Indies were having problems with their middle order and our bowlers bowled beautifully."
Lara admitted his batsmen were struggling and the decision to shuffle the order had backfired.
"A few guys are out of form and lack confidence," he said. "It's a cause for concern.
"That's why some of the lower order were pushed up so they could get some batting time and find some form.
"They didn't make the most of this chance but we have a few days to practise and hopefully they can find some form in time for the final."
One-day international, Kuala Lumpur: India 162 (39.3 overs) bt West Indies 146 (41 overs) by 16 runs
The WEST INDIES again found a new way to lose when chasing a low total against India on Wednesday.
India kept alive their hopes of making the Kuala Lumpur tri-series alive by snatching a 16-run win over West Indies after bowling them out for only 146.
Dwayne Smith took 4-31 as the Indians made 162, with only Sachin Tendulkar (65) and Harbhajan Singh (37) battling.
The Windies slumped from 44-0 to 118-8 but with Brian Lara - who came in at nine - there they still had a chance.
However he was left stranded on 40 as Harbhajan (3-35) helped mop up the tail and India must now beat Australia.
The Windies had already qualified for the final and Smith enjoyed the responsibility of being handed the new ball by having skipper Rahul Dravid caught behind off the third ball of the game.
Anything can happen in cricket and we never gave up
Rahul Dravid
He also saw Virender Sehwag lose his off-stump, Suresh Raina edge to first slip and Yuvraj Singh nick behind.
Corey Collymore and Dwayne Bravo cleaned up Mahendra Dhoni and Ajit Agarkar, before Tendulkar rebuilt the innings patiently with the adventurous Harbhajan - until a second collapse.
Harbhajan was caught behind off Gayle and Tendulkar was run out when Marlon Samuels deflected a drive off Rudra Pratap Singh into the stumps.
Gayle beat the latter for pace and Munaf Patel was run out going for a suicidal third run two balls later to spell the end of a miserable batting effort.
India can now look forward to a crunch match against Australia
When Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Runako Morton made a solid start in reply the Indians were on their way out of the tournament.
But seamers Agarkar, Patel and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth took two wickets each to rip through the top and middle order.
Patel saw Chanderpaul spoon the ball to Sehwag at square-leg and Sarwan edge behind, before Morton did the same off Sreesanth, with Dhoni taking a juggling catch.
Agarkar, who bowled with pace and accuracy, trapped Samuels and Smith - who hit three of his first four balls for four before going lbw off the fifth, while Gayle went the same way to RP Singh.
A few guys are out of form and lack confidence
Brian Lara
Lara came out with the score 97-7 and gave them a glimmer of hope by crashing six fours in his 48-ball knock but he ran out of partners.
"Anything can happen in cricket and we never gave up," said Dravid.
"The boys were disappointed with their batting but we talked about not giving up and trying to get some early wickets.
"We knew the West Indies were having problems with their middle order and our bowlers bowled beautifully."
Lara admitted his batsmen were struggling and the decision to shuffle the order had backfired.
"A few guys are out of form and lack confidence," he said. "It's a cause for concern.
"That's why some of the lower order were pushed up so they could get some batting time and find some form.
"They didn't make the most of this chance but we have a few days to practise and hopefully they can find some form in time for the final."
posted by Andre @ 3:18 PM
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