Sport

Windies fail to nail India

Denesh Ramdin - file

colombo, sri lanka, cmc

WEST INDIES CAME close, but were edged out in the sixth and final preliminary match of the three-nation limited-overs international cricket series when India completed a seven-run victory yesterday.

Chasing the highest target in the competition of 263 runs from 50 overs, West Indies were restricted to 255 for seven from their allocation of 50 overs to allow India to claim the last spot in the final against hosts Sri Lanka to be contested tomorrow at the Premadasa Stadium.

The batting, bereft of captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the only experienced campaigner on the trip, because of a viral infection, was again a letdown for West Indies.

Leading light

Only Runako Morton with half-dozen fours and one six in 84 from 105 balls, and Denesh Ramdin with seven fours in an unbeaten 74 off 83 balls offered any substantial resistance to India's disciplined, if not menacing attack, in which long-standing leg-spin bowler Anil Kumble, playing his first match, was the leading light.

Kumble collected three wickets for 38 runs from his allotment of 10 overs to break the backbone of the West Indies batting, after Yuvraj Singh with his second limited-overs international hundred and Mohammed Kaif broke the back of the Caribbean side in the field.

Left-hander Singh, whose 110 from 114 balls contained 11 fours and one six, was the top scorer before cramps got the better of him, and he was caught at third man off Narsingh Deonarine in the 46th over.

He added 165 for the fourth wicket with Mohammed Kaif, who hit half-dozen boundaries in an unbeaten 83 from 103 balls, to help India recover from the instability of 51 for three in the 17th over.

Deighton Butler, Daren Powell, Omari Banks, and Deonarine all snared one wicket apiece for West Indies in easily one of their least flattering performances in the field on the trip.

Then batting under the lights in conditions that gradually became overcast, some strokes from the West Indies' top-order batsmen bordered on reckless, rather thanthat frenetic pace they were looking to achieve.

Morton, however, added 83 for the seventh wicket to raise hopes of a final fling from the West Indies, but he was dismissed off the last ball of the 40th over, being caught at mid-wicket off Ashish Nehra essaying a tired pull.

Ramdin kept his composure though, only for Tino Best to lose his head, charge down the pitch, and be bowled for three in the 44th over by Sehwag.

Butler came to the wicket and continued to inch West Indies closer in a stand of 32 for the ninth wicket with Ramdin before he was run out for nine in the 48th over.

Batting bunny

West Indies started the final over needing 12 runs to win, but neither Ramdin nor batting bunny Daren Powell could get into the groove off fast, straight, and full-length bowling from Nehra.

West Indies had been set back from as early as the seventh over, when Xavier Marshall was adjudged lbw for 19 to Pathan for the umpteenth time on the tour being deceived by a delivery swinging back from a left-arm medium-fast bowler.

Sylvester Joseph, leading West Indies in the absence of Chanderpaul, failed to exemplify the huge responsibility that had been placed on his shoulders, and was caught at mid-off off Pathan for four when he skied an ugly cross-batted stroke in the ninth over.

When Deonarine committed suicide with a lofted drive to mid-off to be caught off Nehra for six, West Indies had crumbled to 59 for six in the 13th over, and continued to bleed wickets.

Banks fell for six and Dwayne Smith for 26 off 12 balls that included two sixes and two fours - both were adjudged lbw to Kumble's top-spinner, before Ricardo Powell, probably playing in his last international match, was caught at short leg off the same bowler for four to leave West Indies 112 for six in the 34th over.

Morton, who had watched the carnage helplessly from the non-striker's end, and had come close to being dismissed run out twice, reached his milestone with a boundary off Singh in the 36th over.

He and Denesh Ramdin offered some late resistance, but the challenge facing them was just too great, and after they added 73 for the seventh wicket.

Earlier, the match had started brightly for West Indies, when Powell forced former India captain and left-handed opener Sourav Ganguly to retire hurt on two in the fourth over, after striking him with a lifting delivery just above the left wrist.

Things got progressively better for West Indies, when they removed Vangipurappu Laxman caught behind off Powell for seven in the eighth over, and Sehwag lbw for six to Butler in the ninth over to leave the Indians on 21 for two.

Rahul Dravid added 30 with Singh for the third wicket before Banks bowled him for 10, but Singh and Kaif found the hard, easy-paced pitch and the West Indies bowling to their liking and got India back on track.