MANCHESTER, England, CMC – The West Indies Cricket Team made a humbling exit to the Cricket World Cup after being defeated by India in a match at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on Thursday, June 27, 2019.
The Caribbean side met their demise when they failed to chase down India’s 269 and were all out for 143 in the 35th over, suffering their third heaviest defeat in a World Cup in the process.
The loss was their fifth in seven matches and left them still eighth in the standings on three points, only above South Africa and Afghanistan, with two games remaining.
“I think the bowlers did a fantastic job on this surface. I couldn’t really ask them for more. The guys gave a really good effort in the field but I guess we just let ourselves down with the bat,” a dejected captain Jason Holder said afterwards.
Sunil Ambris, in his first game of the tournament after arriving in the country on Tuesday as a replacement for the injured Andre Russell, top-scored with 31 while Nicholas Pooran made 28. They were only two of three top-order batsmen to reach double figures and the only ones to pass 20 overall.
Mohammed Shami wrecked the innings with an outstanding spell of four for 16 while fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah (2-9) and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (2-39) picked up two wickets apiece in support.
India had earlier battled to 268 for seven off their 50 overs after winning the toss and opting to bat, with captain Virat Kohli top-scoring with a Man-of-the-Match 72 and former skipper MS Dhoni getting an unbeaten 56.
Seamer Kemar Roach, in only his third match of the World Cup, led the Windies with three for 36 from his 10 overs while Holder (2-33) and fellow pacer Sheldon Cottrell (2-50) claimed two wickets apiece.
It was the veteran Roach who got the key breakthrough in the sixth over of the morning with the score on 29 when he removed the dangerous Rohit Sharma for 18 to a catch at the wicket, after resorting to DRS.
Shami, a late inclusion in India’s starting XI, dismissed Chris Gayle (6) and No. 3 Shai Hope (5) in his opening spell and, after an innings building a 55-run partnership between Nicholas Pooran (28) and Sunil Ambris (31), it all went downhill for West Indies. The innings went into terminal decline as the last eight wickets fell for 72 runs.
India moved into second place with 11 points, one behind defending champion Australia and travel to Birmingham to play England on Sunday.
