5 close ODI encounters between Men in Blue and West Indies in India

After losing 0-3 in the ODI series in South Africa, Team India will be keen to get their act right when they face West Indies at home. The Men in Blue will take on the Windies in a three-match ODI series, starting on February 6 in Ahmedabad. All the matches will be played at the same venue, the Narendra Modi Stadium, behind closed doors, owing to the threat of COVID-19.

West Indies will be on a high, having defeated England 3-2 in a tightly-contested T20I series at home recently. India and the Windies have faced each other in 133 one-dayers to date, with India winning 64 and their opponents 63. Two games have been tied while four produced no results.

In India as well, there is nothing much to pick between the two sides. Out of the 58 matches, the hosts have won 29 and West Indies 28. One match has been tied. India have had the upper hand in recent years, with the Caribbean side losing their grip. However, the hosts were dealt a big blow ahead of the series, with Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad testing positive for COVID-19. It remains to be seen how India will cope in the trio's absence.

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India vs West Indies: 5 one-day matches that went down to the wire

Ahead of the India-West Indies ODIs, we look back at five close encounters between the teams in matches held in India.

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#5 Only ODI, Ahmedabad (1988)

Former Windies pacer Patrick Patterson. Pic: Getty Images

West Indies played a one-off ODI against India in Ahmedabad in 1988 and claimed a two-run victory in a low-scoring thriller. The Men in Blue elected to field first after winning the toss and cleaned up the visitors for 196 in 48.3 overs. It was a good all-round show by the Indian bowlers as Chetan Sharma, Kapil Dev and Arshad Ayub claimed two wickets each.

India would have been confident of chasing down the target. However, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and Kris Srikkanth’s 53 was the only batting effort of note. Kapil’s run out for 21 left them reeling at 136 for 6. Ravi Shastri (19), Arshad Ayub (14) and Chetan Sharma (16*) kept India’s hopes alive.

In the end, though, they finished on 194 for 9, coming tantalizingly close to winning. Patrick Patterson (3/26) and Winston Benjamin (2/30) kept India under pressure right through the chase.

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#4 3rd ODI, Visakhapatnam (1994)

Former India opener Navjot Sidhu. Pic: Getty Images

India beat West Indies by four runs in Visakhapatnam in November 1994, in the third ODI of a five-match series. The match was reduced to 44 overs per side and the delay was due to a bizarre reason - the tourists’ kit had been flown on to Chennai (then Madras) by mistake.

India were sent into bat and put up an impressive 260 for 4 on the board. Navjot Sidhu hit a brilliant 114* off 103 balls. He smashed nine fours and two sixes in his memorable knock. Sachin Tendulkar also contributed 54 and skipper Mohammad Azharuddin 45.

In response, West Indies got off to a confident start after being docked one over for slow over rate. Openers Phil Simmons (51) and Stuart Williams (49) added 86. Brian Lara also chipped in with 39 and, at one stage, West Indies were 145 for 1. However, India hit back courtesy of Manoj Prabhakar (2/61) and Anil Kumble (2/41).

Carl Hooper’s (74* off 47) blazing effort kept West Indies in the hunt. It all came down to six off the last ball to tie the contest, but Hooper managed only two off Prabhakar as India sneaked home in a tense finish.

#3 1st ODI, Cuttack (2011)

Team India pacer Umesh Yadav. Pic: Getty Images

The Men in Blue got the better of the Windies by one wicket in Cuttack in November 2011, in the first ODI of a five-match series. The Indians fielded first after winning the toss and restricted the Caribbean side to 211 for 9. Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron claimed two wickets apiece while Darren Bravo top-scored for the visitors with 60.

While chasing, India lost half their side for 59 as Kemar Roach claimed the big scalps of Virat Kohli (3) and Gautam Gambhir (4). Rohit Sharma (72), batting at No.5, led the fightback in the company of Ravindra Jadeja (38). However, West Indies kept chipping away at the wickets and reduced India to 201 for 9.

Aaron and Umesh, however, struck one four each off Daren Sammy in the 49th over to take the hosts home with seven balls to spare. The latter hit the winning runs by smashing the Windies pacer down the ground for a boundary.

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#2 2nd ODI, Visakhapatnam, (2013)

Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy. Pic: Getty Images

West Indies got the better of India by two wickets and three balls to spare in a high-scoring encounter in Visakhapatnam in November 2013. Batting first after losing the toss, the hosts put up a competitive 288 for 7. Kohli scored 99 before falling to a pull off Ravi Rampaul (4/60) while skipper MS Dhoni contributed an unbeaten 51 in 40 balls.

The Windies aced the chase courtesy of some fine knocks right through the innings. Opener Kieran Powell’s 59 set things up, Darren Bravo contributed a swift 50, Lendl Simmons chipped in with 62 while Daren Sammy blasted an unbeaten 63 in 45 balls, a knock inclusive of four fours and as many sixes.

The Windies were 267 for 6 after 47 overs and Sammy hammered Bhuvneshwar Kumar for two fours and a six to put his team on the doorsteps of victory. Mohammed Shami, however, dismissed Jason Holder and Sunil Narine in the penultimate over to send some flutters into the opposition camp. Sammy, however, guided West Indies home with a single off Mohit Sharma in the last over.

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#1 2nd ODI, Visakhapatnam, (2018)

Former India captain Virat Kohli. Pic: Getty Images

India and West Indies played out a pulsating draw in Visakhapatnam in October 2018. In a high-scoring encounter, the second ODI of the five-match series, the hosts put up 321 for 6 after winning the toss and batting first. In response, the visitors finished on 321 for 7.

Skipper Kohli played a captain’s knock for India, scoring an unbeaten 157 off 129 balls. He featured in a third-wicket stand of 139 with Ambati Rayudu (73). The duo helped India recover from 40 for 2 as both openers fell cheaply. Rayudu struck eight fours in his 80-ball knock before being bowled by Ashley Nurse.

West Indies were equally good in response as Shai Hope slammed an unbeaten 123 in 134 balls while Shimron Hetmyer clobbered his way to 94 in just 64 balls, smacking seven sixes. The duo lifted the Windies from 78 for 3 to 221 before Hetmyer was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal.

The equation came down to 14 off the last over to be bowled by Umesh Yadav. The pacer dismissed Nurse for 5 off the fourth ball and it all came down to five off the last delivery. Hope carved a full delivery from outside off to the point boundary to tie the match in sensational fashion.