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That'll be all from the first one-dayer at Ahmedabad. Both teams return to the same venue on Wednesday and it remains to be seen if we'll witness a more exciting contest that time around. Do join us for our coverage of the same here on Sportskeeda while keeping yourselves updated with all the other cricketing news and action from across the globe on this very platform. Thank you so much for tuning into our coverage of this clash, one which we hope you enjoyed just as much as we did bringing to you. On behalf of my good friend and co-commentator Bala, this is Sooryanarayanan once again reminding you to mask up and get vaccinated in case you haven't already. Goodnight, take care and have a great week ahead!
A top class spell from Yuzvendra Chahal who, along with Washington Sundar, broke the back of the West Indian batting unit. As complete a performance as it can get from the hosts and they will be keen to seal the series in the next game before allowing themselves room for experimentation. West Indies have a lot to work upon, particularly on the batting front and they do not have much time to find answers for the same. More so, with crucial World Cup Super League points at stake.
Yuzvendra Chahal (Player of the Match): It felt good. When Washi took those two wickets I knew that the batters would be under pressure. I just wanted to capitalize on the pressure he created. When I saw Washi's spell I knew the ball was turning so I wanted to use that. Speaking to Rohit bhai and Virat bhai, they told me that the pace was important on this wicket since it would slow up. I try to bowl according to the wicket - today I knew that there is a hint of turn. You can try the odd variation in between. When I returned from South Africa I watched each game at least three or four times. I spoke to Rohit bhai as well as my bowling coach and worked on it. I knew they were waiting for me to toss it up since they have the power to go for the big shots from one end.
Rohit Sharma (Indian captain): To be honest, yeah, in patches (it was perfect). I don't believe in a perfect game. There is always something that you have missed. We want to keep getting better as a team. Great effort by the team today. Stuck to our plans, did what we talked about as a group and ticked all boxes. With the bat, we could have been better. Those wickets in the middle. We could have created more pressure in the middle (with the ball) with their lower order (batting). That's something we need to get better. But I don't want to take anything away from them. They created that partnership there. I thought the way they bowled up front and at the end was good to see. We want to keep getting better. I am open to a lot of things if we need to get better. The goal is to get better, do what the team wants. We have had a good run in the ODI cricket. All I ask the players is to challenge ourselves to do something better. If the situation arises, the guys will be ready to do that as well. I was been off for a while. Haven't played for two months. But I was home, hitting the balls. Knew there was a long season ahead. We reached here early and had good net sessions. I was confident going into the game. (Importance of toss) It was, in this game. The pitch had something in it. There was softness early on. But honestly want to take the toss away, we don't want to depend on it. But if you win the toss, you have to take advantage.
Kieron Pollard (West Indies Captain): Losing with 22 overs to spare is a heavy defeat. The same old problem for us - not being able to bat deep, losing 5 wickets for 55 runs. We've got to take stuff like that. We've got to bat deeper and get better with our techniques, myself included. Credit to the guys for turning up - it was difficult after the last couple of days (of jet lag). We showed that once we're able get some runs on the board we can compete. The first 10-12 overs batting second the ball is going to slide on. The toss is crucial and once we lost the toss it was going to be 50-50. That's the nature of cricket, we can't change that. We have a game in two days' time and we have to bounce back. (On Holder's batting lower in the order) When you're looking at different things you can say that. 12 months ago not many would have said that but in the last couple of months he has been batting really well in Test cricket as well. He can bat at 6 or sometimes even at 5. There are guys who have played Test cricket batting up the order. Today he turned up with a crucial contribution. Long may that continue. (Positives?) The lower order batting - Fabian Allen showing what he can do. The energy from Alzarri Joseph and Akeal Hosein was really good to see. Hopefully we can continue that in a couple of days' time.
Suryakumar Yadav: (On Deepak Hooda) Things were very really clear. Didn't need to tell him anything. He has played domestic cricket for the last 6-7 years. The plan was to play till the end. We took five-five runs at a time. His confidence was top class. Obviously, been loving how things have been going. I am just trying to do what I do in the nets, and it has been coming off. (On chatting with Kieron Pollard) He told me a few things. Mid-wicket was open, why didn't to hit it. I told him this is different from the IPL. With the dew coming, it was a bit difficult for the bowlers. It was a bit slow in the afternoon, but with the dew, it became a bit easier for the batsmen.
India 178/4 in 28 overs (Rohit Sharma 60 off 51 balls, Suryakumar Yadav 34* off 36 balls, Alzarri Joseph 2/45 off 7 overs) beat West Indies 176 all out in 43.5 overs, by 6 wickets.
It was a total that was never going to fluster the Indians. And when Rohit Sharma bats in the manner he did today, there is no reason to worry is there? The skipper looked like a million dollars out there, notching up a sublime and near-flawless half-century off just 42 deliveries. It never seemed as though he was on a comeback after more than two months and was going about his business without breaking a sweat.
The extra pace of Alzarri Joseph did the trick for the visitors though. Two wickets in the space of five deliveries saw Rohit trapped in front before Virat Kohli, who looked rather aggressive from the word go, top-edged a pull down the throat of long leg. That just gave a smidgen of hope for the visitors but a smidgen is all it was.
Another such period ensued with the quick departure of Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant. The former had the best seat in the house with Rohit going great guns first up but he wasn't able to carry on beyond a score of 28. Pant will rue his luck with the ball deflecting onto the stumps off Joseph's boots but even that was never going to bother the hosts as they maintained their cool to get the job done.
Suryakumar Yadav and debutant Deepak Hooda sealed the deal with a steady partnership and spent some valuable time out in the middle. There were no evident signs of nerves from Hooda either and the duo did it with an easy nudge of the ball around the park. It has to be said that the West Indies never had enough runs to play with though and they have a lot to work on as far as their batting goes.
There were a couple of positives to take out though in the form of Jason Holder's batting and the X-Factor that Alzarri Joseph brought to the side today. He has had an excellent run in the format post the 2019 Cricket World Cup and is turning out to be a vital cog in this machine, as is Akeal Hosein. That said, there is only so much that a bowling attack can do with 176 in the bank.
That'll be all! A boundary through the gap behind backward point and that's the game for the hosts. They've dominated from start to finish and have looked head and shoulders ahead of their compatriots today. India beat West Indies by 6 wickets and 22 overs to spare to go 1-0 up in the series!
28
overs
178/4score
0
1
1
1
1
4
runs
Suryakumar Yadav*
34(36)
Deepak Hooda
26(32)
Fabian Allen
0/14
27.6 Fabian Allen to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR! Finds the gap! And that's the winning runs! Well flighted delivery outside the off-stump. Surya drives it square of the wicket and beats the fielder at backward point. No chance for the fielder at sweeper cover. And it's a clinical victory for India
27.5 Fabian Allen to Deepak Hooda, full ball outside the off-stump. Drives it through the covers to the fielder in the deep
27.4 Fabian Allen to Suryakumar Yadav, flatter ball on a good length outside off. Pushes it with the open face of the bat to sweeper cover
27.3 Fabian Allen to Deepak Hooda, full delivery outside the off-stump. Drives it down the ground to long-off. They are doing it in singles now
Can Hooda seal it in style on debut?
27.2 Fabian Allen to Suryakumar Yadav, floats it up full around the off-stump. Eases the ball down to long-off for a single
27.1 Fabian Allen to Suryakumar Yadav, full ball on off and middle. Pushes the ball straight to the fielder at mid-on
Both Suryakumar and Hooda seem content with tapping it around and are in no hurry whatsoever. That said, India are just 7 runs away from going 1-0 up in the series so this could well be the last over of the contest.
27
overs
170/4score
1
1
1
0
1
0
runs
Suryakumar Yadav
28(32)
Deepak Hooda*
24(30)
Akeal Hosein
1/46
26.6 Akeal Hosein to Deepak Hooda, flatter ball on a length around off. Drives it off the back foot straight to the fielder at mid-on
26.5 Akeal Hosein to Suryakumar Yadav, fuller ball on middle and leg. Drives it down to long-on for a single