Thanks to a Prasidh Krishna's 4-12, India defended 238 to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match ODI series against West Indies. West Indies were bowled out for 193.
West Indies took field without captain Kieron Pollard, who had a niggle. West Indies brought in Odean Smith, while Nicholas Pooran led them. India recalled K.L. Rahul for Ishan Kishan, and pushed Rishabh Pant to the top after they were asked to bowl on a relatively difficult pitch.
Run-scoring was difficult as the West Indians stuck to their line and length. Kemar Roach got Rohit Sharma early, for 5. Pant and Virat Kohli batted cautiously for the first Powerplay until Smith came on to dismiss both in his second over, for 18 apiece, to reduce India to 43/3.
Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav then led the recovery, adding 91 in 106 balls before Rahul was run out while attempting a second run. Suryakumar went got his second fifty, and eventually top-scored with a career-best 64 before Fabian Allen claimed him. Washington Sundar then fell to Akeal Hossain for a laboured 41-ball 24.
India kept losing wickets regularly at the death, and there was no significant contribution other than Deepak Hooda's 25-ball 29. They eventually finished on 237/9. For West Indies, Alzarri Joseph and Smith took two wickets apiece, while the spinners, Hossain and Allen, bowled economically.
On this pitch, it was never going to be an easy target for a team prone to not lasting all fifty overs. West Indies banked on late-evening dew that might have hindered the Indian spinners. But Krishna's astonishing spell made it virtually impossible for them.
Krishna came on first change in the eighth over. He got Brandon King and Darren Bravo in his first two overs and was taken off after figures of 4-2-3-2. He later took the wickets of Pooran and Kemar Roach to finish the match with 9-3-12-4.
Shardul Thakur two wickets, and the others – including Deepak Hooda, who got his first ODI wicket – one apiece. None of the West Indies batters got going. Barring Smith and King, none of their batters scored at over 70. Shamarh Brooks top-scored for them with 44 off 64 balls.
With this win, India now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in this ODI series and may opt for changes in the third ODI to younger players like Kishan and Avesh Khan.
India 237/9 in 50 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 64; Odean Smith 2-29) beat West Indies 193 in 46 overs (Shamarh Brooks 44; Prasidh Krishna 4-12) by 44 runs. Player of the Match: Prasidh Krishna.