Shubman Gill. (Photo Source: RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)
A high-quality batting display from the batters followed by stellar bowling performances from Shardul Thakur and Mukesh Kumar helped India beat West Indies by 200 runs to clinch the three-match ODI series 2-1. With this India completed their 13th consecutive ODI series win over West Indies
Speaking about the third ODI, put into bat first, the visitors got off to the best possible starts as openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill toyed with the bowlers, registering the highest opening partnership for India against West Indies in their home.
Kishan registered his third consecutive fifty in the series before Yannic Cariah got him stumped for 77 as the first wicket fell for 143 runs at the close of 20th over. Soon afterwards, Alzarri Joseph ended Ruturaj Gaikwad’s short stay as he edged one to the slip for eight.
Coming in at number 4, Sanju Samson played a gutsy knock as he registered his third fifty of just 39 balls before getting dismissed for 41-ball 51. He added 69 runs with Gill. Gill departed for a well-made 85 courtesy of brilliant bowling from Gudakesh Motie.
A 35-run cameo from Suryakumar Yadav and brilliant half-century from skipper Hardik Pandya lower down the order helped India post their highest total (351) against West Indies in West Indies. Pandya remained unbeaten on 70 off 52 balls, with his innings including four fours and five maximums. For West Indies, Romario Sheperd picked up two wickets while Motie finished off the innings with a spell of 1/38 in his quota of 10 overs.
Chasing a humungous 352, West Indies top order did not live up tothe expectations as Mukesh Kumar and Shardul Thakur ran through their batting. Only Alick Athanaze could score in double digits among the top seven batters as Mukesh picked three wickets while Shardul Thakur picked four.
Athanaze scored 32 before Kuldeep Yadav cleaned him up while Cariah was trapped LBW very soon. Motie remained unbeaten on 39 just to reduce the defeat margin, as India eventually won by 200 runs to clinch the series 2-1.
Meanwhile let us look at the stats and numbers from third ODI between West Indies and India:
351 – India registered their highest total of 351 against West Indies in West Indies, surpassing their previous best of 339 in Kingston in 2009.
351/5 – This is the highest total for Inda in ODI with no individuals scoring a century. Their previous best was 350/6 against Sri Lanka in Nagpur in 2005.
143 – The partnership of 143 between Kishan and Gill is the highest by an Indian opening pair in West Indies soil in ODIs, bettering the previous record of 132 set by Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane in Port of Spain in 2017.
7 – Four out of top seven batters scored fifty-plus scores. This is the seventh instance of four batters in top seven scoring fifties for India.
6 – Kishan became the sixth Indian to score three consecutive fifty-plus scores in a three-match ODI series.
Three consecutive fifties in three-match ODI series for India
Kris Srikkanth vs SL in 1982
Dilip Vengsarkar vs SL 1985
Mohammad Azharuddin vs SL 1993
MS Dhoni vs AUS 2019
Shreyas Iyer vs NZ 2020
Ishan Kishan vs WI 2023
4/37 – This was Shardul Thakur’s best spell in ODIs, bettering the 4/52 against South Africa in Centurion in 2018.
200 – India defeated West Indies by margin of 200 runs, the second-highest margin for them against West Indies. Their highest win margin was 224 in Mumbai in 2018.
13 – India have now won 13 consecutive bilateral ODI series against West Indies.