India vs West Indies Watch Live Free Cricket Streaming: Virat Kohli (117, 123b, 14x4) and Rohit Sharma (90 n.o., 98b, 7x4, 2x6) helped India survive an unbelievable assault by tail-ender Ravi Rampaul, and early setbacks in its chase to register a five-wicket win over the West Indies, in the second ODI at Visakhapatnam, on Friday.
India vs West Indies Watch Live Free Cricket Streaming
After Rampaul's 86 (66b, 6x4, 6x6) took the West Indies to 269, India overhauled the target through the combined excellence of the young duo, who added 163 runs in 28.3 overs for the fourth-wicket. India won with 11 balls to spare.
Early wickets
Beginning its chase, the host lost opener Parthiv Patel and number three Gautam Gambhir cheaply and would have been in further distress had Virender Sehwag not been dropped twice when he was on one (by Darren Sammy) and 15 (by Darren Bravo).
The teams trooped off for a rain delay after Bravo fluffed the chance and Sehwag was eventually taken at the long-off boundary for 26 (35b, 3x4) by Andre Russell off Marlon Samuels when play resumed after 45 minutes.
Kohli and Sharma motored along and India reached 100 in the 21st over.
Kohli lived through a sharp caught and bowled chance off Samuels when he was 40 and completed his half-century in 61 balls.
Rohit too continued his good form and completed his second fifty in as many matches with a square-cut boundary off Sammy. India needed 98 in 15 overs when the batting Powerplay was opted for and 38 runs were taken from it.
Another hundred
Kohli reached three figures, his second hundred on the ground and eighth overall, in 113 balls.
The centurion was caught behind off Rampaul, but India was assured a 2-0 lead in the five-match series as Rohit stuck around to the end and even carted a huge six over the head of Kemar Roach in the closing stages.
Earlier, Rampaul's belligerence at the rear ensured that Lendl Simmons' solidity at the top was not wasted.
The number 10 batsman helped the West Indies recover from a precarious 170 for nine. Rampaul and Roach (24, 36b, 3x4) thwarted India for 99 priceless runs in 14 overs, the highest stand of the innings, as well as the third-highest last-wicket partnership in ODI history.
Record
Rampaul's effort was the best ODI score ever by a number ten batsman.
The tailender smote three sixes off R. Ashwin, one against Ravindra Jadeja and two — including a massive morale-boosting hit over the sight-screen off the last ball — against the testing pace of Varun Aaron to supplement opener Simmons' unimpeachable 78 (102, 8x4, 1x6).
India had a perfect start to the match, which was delayed by 15 minutes due to a mild drizzle. No overs were lost and Virender Sehwag elected to bowl, mindful perhaps of the evening dew. The first to go was opener Adrian Barath, who edged Umesh Yadav to Parthiv Patel.
Another scalp went begging in the sixth over when Rohit Sharma, at second slip, dropped a sitter from Marlon Samuels off Yadav. The reprieve was temporary and the batsman succumbed to the same bowler in his next over, caught by a diving Suresh Raina at third slip.
Double-wicket maiden
Simmons and Darren Bravo steadied the ship somewhat by adding 30 in 6.2 overs, before a double-wicket maiden from Vinay Kumar left the Caribbeans reeling again. Bravo sought to clear the infield only to find Ashwin at mid-on.
On the fifth ball of the same over, Danza Hyatt was caught behind for a duck. Yadav returned for his second spell to dismiss Denesh Ramdin, leaving the West Indies on 67 for five in 17 overs. Kieron Pollard joined Simmons and on them fell the responsibility of salvaging the innings.
Spin was introduced in the form of Jadeja in the 20th over. Ashwin was brought on from the other end, and Pollard and Simmons associated for 56 runs in 7.5 overs, during which time the hulking West Indian struck the offie for two towering sixes.
But Ashwin (one for 74) had the last laugh when Pollard's forward defence ballooned into the hands of Parthiv. Jadeja claimed both skipper Sammy and Andre Russell, and ran out Simmons, who had looked untroubled throughout, with a searing throw from the boundary. This brought together Rampaul and Roach and the confounding alliance they forged took the West Indies to 269, which in the end proved insufficient against the might of India's batting.
Yadav (three for 38) and Jadeja (two for 39) and Vinay (two for 43) were the pick of the bowlers.
Scoreboard:
West Indies: L. Simmons (run out) 78 (102b, 8x4, 1x6), A. Barath c Parthiv b Yadav 0 (8b), M. Samuels c Raina b Yadav 4 (8b), D. Bravo c Ashwin b Vinay 13 (17b, 2x4), D. Hyatt c Parthiv b Vinay 0 (2b), D. Ramdin c Jadeja b Yadav 2 (11b), K. Pollard c Parthiv b Ashwin 35 (30b, 3x4, 2x6), D. Sammy lbw b Jadeja 2 (8b), A. Russell b Jadeja 11 (13b, 2x4), R. Rampaul (not out) 86 (66b, 6x4, 6x6), K. Roach (not out) 24 (36b, 3x4); Extras (lb-6, w-7, nb-1): 14; Total (for nine wkts. in 50 overs): 269.
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Barath), 2-25 (Samuels), 3-55 (Bravo), 4-55 (Hyatt), 5-63 (Ramdin), 6-119 (Pollard), 7-131 (Sammy), 8-149 (Russell), 9-170 (Simmons).
India bowling: Vinay 10-2-43-2, Yadav 10-0-38-3, Aaron 10-0-66-0, Jadeja 9-2-39-2, Ashwin 10-0-74-1, Raina 1-0-3-0.
India: Parthiv c Sammy b Roach 2 (6b), V. Sehwag c Russell b Samuels 26 (35b, 3x4), G. Gambhir c Barath b Rampaul 12 (18b, 2x4), V. Kohli c Ramdin b Rampaul 117 (123b, 14x4), R. Sharma (not out) 90 (98b, 7x4, 2x6), S. Raina c Ramdin b Roach 0 (1b), R. Jadeja (not out) 9 (8b, 1x4); Extras (lb-4, w-10): 14, Total (for five wkts. in 48.1 overs): 270.
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Parthiv), 2-29 (Gambhir), 3-84 (Sehwag), 4-247 (Kohli), 5-248 (Raina).
West Indies bowling: Rampaul 10-1-62-2, Roach 10-0-40-2, Russell 8.1-0-60-0, Sammy 4-0-30-0, Samuels 10-1-40-1, Pollard 3-0-22-0, Simmons 3-0-12-0.
