Sharma shine as India thrash Windies

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma guided India to a calm four-wicket victory over West Indies in the first one-day international in Port of Spain.

Sharma's winning 68 off 75 balls ensure India got over a shaky start as they chase down a modest Windies total of 214 for nine with more than five overs to spare.

Only Ramnaresh Sarwan (56) and Marlon Samuels (55), who put on 82 for the fourth wicket, accessible anything for the hosts after they selected to bat, while Harbhajan Singh was the pick of the visiting bowlers with three wickets for 32 runs.

West Indies were without the big-hitting Chris Gayle because of a row with the board and they miss his power at the top of the order.

Kirk Edwards look to get a swift start with a boundary in the first over, but he was drop by Sharma at slip off Munaf Patel as both openers struggle.

He lost partner Lendl Simmons for a difficult six off 23 balls when he top-edged Praveen Kumar to Harbhajan and Darren Bravo followed the next over, as Sharma made compensation for his earlier drop to give Munaf a deserve wicket.

Edwards was drop again on 16 and 20 as he struggled with the spin of Amit Mishra and Harbhajan, but finally fell to the latter for 21 when he lobs the ball to Virat Kohli at slip.

Sarwan and Samuels dug in, surviving many appeals, before the latter broke the shackles with two boundaries off Yusuf Pathan in the 26th over. Five overs later he took the hosts past 100, then hammered Kohli for six off a free hit.

Sarwan went past 50 with back-to-back boundaries off Munaf, but was strangle down the leg side off the last ball of the same over leaving his side 141 for four with 12 overs remaining.

Dwayne Bravo and Samuels attempt to accelerate with a six apiece off one Mishra over, but Samuels played on to Suresh Raina in the next over and Bravo was confused to give Harbhajan his second wicket.

The tail could offer little more afterward. Shikhar Dhawan got the India comeback off and running with back-to-back boundaries off Ravi Rampaul.

Parthiv Patel made it three in a row but he was run out soon after subsequent good work by Dwayne Bravo and Carlton Baugh. Virat Kohli followed, wedged behind off Rampaul, and when Subramaniam Badrinath under-edged Devendra Bishoo throughout to Baugh, India was stressed on 61 for three.

But Sharma joint first with Dhawan and then Raina to push India towards victory.
Dhawan (51) carted Dwayne Bravo for six, and then passed 50 with a boundary off the same bowler, before falling to Anthony Martin when he selected out Simmons at deep midwicket.

Raina and Sharma were happy regularly to keep up with the rate in ones and twos, though the latter took his side past 150 by dispatch Darren Sammy for six.

Raina accumulate 43 before falling in identical fashion to Dhawan, but a partnership of 80 meant his side needed just 21 more to win. And, despite Yusuf falling, Harbhajan ended things off in style with a six off Sammy.

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