Kohli, Gill crush Windies after Greaves’ lone-century heroics
Key Points(5)
- Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill turned a promising West Indies start into a one-sided contest yesterday, combining for commanding centuries as India chased down 296 with eight wickets and 50 balls to spare in the opening One-Day International (ODI) of the three-match series.
- Kohli produced an unbeaten 139 from only 88 balls, hammering 10 fours and nine sixes for his 55th ODI century, while captain Gill made a measured 110 from 108 deliveries.
- Their assault carried India to 300 for two in 41.4 overs and overshadowed a remarkable maiden ODI hundred from Justin Greaves, whose 101 had briefly put the West Indies in position to threaten a total well beyond 300 at Greenfield International Stadium.
- The turning point, however, came with the ball.
- Kuldeep Yadav claimed four wickets for 40 runs to derail the visitors after they had raced to 135 without loss in the first 19 overs.
Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill turned a promising West Indies start into a one-sided contest yesterday, combining for commanding centuries as India chased down 296 with eight wickets and 50 balls to spare in the opening One-Day International (ODI) of the three-match series.
Kohli produced an unbeaten 139 from only 88 balls, hammering 10 fours and nine sixes for his 55th ODI century, while captain Gill made a measured 110 from 108 deliveries.
Their assault carried India to 300 for two in 41.4 overs and overshadowed a remarkable maiden ODI hundred from Justin Greaves, whose 101 had briefly put the West Indies in position to threaten a total well beyond 300 at Greenfield International Stadium.
The turning point, however, came with the ball.
Kuldeep Yadav claimed four wickets for 40 runs to derail the visitors after they had raced to 135 without loss in the first 19 overs. Prasidh Krishna added two for 60 as the West Indies eventually finished on 295 for seven.
Greaves and Campbell set the tone
For nearly half of the first innings, the West Indies appeared to have the match moving in their direction.
Greaves attacked immediately, taking four boundaries from Nitish Kumar Reddy in the second over, including three in succession. He survived another scare two overs later when a thick edge off Gurnoor Brar narrowly evaded Rohit Sharma at first slip.
John Campbell was slower to settle, but accelerated when Ravindra Jadeja entered the attack in the ninth over. He struck the spinner for a boundary before launching two successive sixes as the West Indies reached 78 without loss.
The opening pair's 135-run stand had India under pressure, with Greaves reaching his half-century from 42 balls before Campbell followed with a 49-ball fifty.
Greaves, though, was increasingly hampered by an injury and visibly struggled while running between the wickets.
Kuldeep changes the game
India finally made the breakthrough when Yadav dismissed Campbell for 62 from 60 balls, his attempted sweep ballooning to short fine leg, where Krishna completed the catch.
Keacy Carty lasted 31 balls for his 13 before miscued a pull from Krishna to mid-on, leaving the West Indies 176 for two.
Yadav then removed Shai Hope for 12 at 195 before Greaves completed a landmark moment, bringing up his maiden ODI century from 104 balls by driving Jadeja through the offside for a single.
The celebration was short-lived.
Greaves was trapped lbw by Yadav in the following over for 101 from 108 balls, having struck 12 fours. Yadav then dismissed Jewel Andrew with the next delivery, leaving the West Indies five wickets down for 198 in the 36th over.
The collapse had transformed India's position.
Jangoo provides late resistance
Roston Chase and Amir Jangoo attempted to rebuild the innings, putting together 52 for the sixth wicket.
Jangoo provided the late acceleration, finishing unbeaten on 58 from 43 balls, but the West Indies could not recover enough ground to establish the imposing total their opening partnership had suggested.
Yadav's four-wicket haul and Krishna's two wickets ensured India were chasing a target of 296 rather than the 350-plus total the visitors had appeared capable of producing.
Gill survives, then cashes in
India's reply began steadily through Rohit Sharma and Gill, who put on 74 inside 12 overs.
The West Indies then missed a crucial opportunity.
Gill had made only 11 when substitute fielder Keemo Paul dropped a straightforward chance at cover off Jayden Seales. The reprieve proved costly.
Gill went on to reach his 10th ODI century, while Sharma contributed 32 before falling.
Gill and Kohli subsequently took complete control with a 151-run partnership.
Kohli brought up his half-century by launching Alzarri Joseph over the boundary and then reached another significant milestone by pulling Joseph to deep midwicket for the runs that took him to 15,000 in ODIs.
Only Sachin Tendulkar had previously reached that landmark.
Gill eventually fell for 110 when he attempted to clear the boundary against Chase and holed out in the deep. By then, however, India were 225 for two after 34 overs and the result was effectively settled.
Kohli finishes in style
With the target within reach, Kohli took complete command.
The veteran right-hander dismantled the West Indies attack from all areas of the ground, racing to an unbeaten 139 from 88 deliveries as India completed the chase in 41.4 overs.
For the West Indies, Greaves' century and the explosive opening stand offered considerable promise, but Yadav's intervention prevented that start from becoming a match-defining total.
India now lead the three-match series 1-0.
