CAPTAIN’S KNOCK: Virat Kohli celebrates after reaching his century in yesterday’s Tri-series clash against hosts West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain. (AFP)
Reuters/Port of Spain
Stand-in skipper Virat Kohli struck 102 off 83 balls as India beat West Indies by 102 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method) in Port of Spain on Friday to get their first victory of the Tri-nation series.
After defeats to the hosts and Sri Lanka, Champions Trophy winners India badly needed a victory to have a chance of reaching the final of the series on Thursday.
West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo won the toss and put India in to bat on a grassy wicket but the hopes he had of early breakthroughs failed to materialise. Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan put on 123 in 23.1 overs for the first wicket before Dhawan holed out to Darren Bravo at midwicket off Kemar Roach having made 69 from 77 balls.
Sharma (46) then edged Tino Best to keeper Denesh Ramdin and West Indies seemed to be making progress with two cheap wickets. Suresh Raina (10) was caught by Darren Sammy at slip off the spin of Marlon Samuels and Dinesh Karthik was caught down the leg side by Ramdin off Best. But then Kohli and Murali Vijay put on 42 runs in the five-over ‘power play’ and despite lacking a strong partner after Vijay’s departure, Kohli took full advantage of some loose bowling.
Kohli, captain in the absence of the injured MS Dhoni, hit 13 fours and two sixes on the way to his 14th one-day international century before he went on the final ball of the innings—finding Sammy at deep midwicket off Dwayne Bravo.
West Indies have nine points from three games with India now on five from three and Sri Lanka also on five but from just two games. Sri Lanka face West Indies today and then India two days later.