India vs West Indies 2019: Hetmyer-Hope pilot visitors to comprehensive victory

Magnificent centuries from Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope guided West Indies to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over India in the series-opener at Chepauk. The hosts, invited to bat first, rode on sparkling fifties from Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant to post a competitive total of 287/8 on the board.

In response, Hetmyer shared a gigantic 218-run partnership with Hope and helped Windies over the line with 2.1 overs to spare.

In pursuit of 289 for victory, Windies began nervously as Deepak Chahar trapped Sunil Ambris right in front. Joining Hope at the crease, Hetmyer led the Windies fightback with supreme confidence. The flamboyant southpaw served as the chief aggressor and punished the loose deliveries with the utmost disdain, propelling the visitors to 136/1 at the halfway stage.

Hetmyer registered his 5th ODI ton, but India managed to pull things back slightly, bowling eight overs without conceding a boundary. However, Iyer spilled an easy chance at long-on to give Hetmyer a reprieve, denying the hosts a crucial breakthrough.

Iyer compensated for his mistake later by pouching Hetmyer's attempted slog, but the extent of the damage inflicted by the left-hander meant India were well under the cosh.

Hope also notched up his eighth ODI hundred, drilling Chahar through cow corner. India did squeeze out a few tight overs, but the dearth of front-line bowling resources meant Windies knocked off the target without much hassle.

Considering the sluggish nature of the pitch, West Indies' decision to bowl first raised eyebrows. However, Sheldon Cottrell justified the call, denting India early with two quick strikes.

The hostile paceman employed cutters and slower deliveries right from the outset, exploiting the lack of zip in the surface. KL Rahul, looking to nudge one around the corner, spooned a dolly to mid-wicket off the leading edge. Virat Kohli then chopped on while trying to guide a single to third man.

With India quivering at 25/2, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer united at the crease to weather the storm. The duo thumped leggie Hayden Walsh for boundaries aplenty while effectively maneuvering the strike. Just when the partnership was beginning to flourish, Alzarri Joseph's bumper caught Rohit late on the pull.

Rohit's dismissal provided Rishabh Pant with a wonderful opportunity to consolidate his position in the batting order. The youngster soaked up the pressure well and gradually constructed his innings before unleashing his attacking range of strokes. Iyer complemented his junior partner nicely, milking singles while only occasionally resorting to aerial shots.

Iyer eventually perished to Alzarri Joseph, lobbing a sitter to Kieron Pollard. Pant followed suit, chipping one straight down Shimron Hetmyer's throat.

Kedar Jadhav and Ravindra Jadeja shouldered the finishing responsibilities and played impactful cameos, guiding India to 288/8. However, the target ultimately proved inadequate courtesy Hetmyer's ferocious performance.

Congratulations to West Indies on winning the first ODI 👏🏻 #INDvWI pic.twitter.com/hG8J4GQPsa

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 15, 2019

Brief scores: India 288/8 in 50 overs (Rishabh Pant 71, Shreyas Iyer 70, Kedar Jadhav 40; Sheldon Cottrell 2-46) lost to West Indies 291/2 in 47.5 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 139, Shai Hope 102*; Deepak Chahar 1-48) by 8 wickets.