Rahul Dravid won his fifth toss in as many matches. In last six games against three different opponents, Indian captains have called correctly now.
Brian Lara (14) once again failed to make a substantial contribution against India in West Indies. His highest score against the visitors in the Caribbean remains a paltry 36 at Port-of-Spain on June 2, 2002. Lara's overall batting record against India is not that impressive either. In 33 matches (and 31 innings) against India, Lara has aggregated 843 runs at an average of 30.10.This average is his lowest against any country.
Dhoni's catch of Gayle was his 50th wicket-keeping dismissal in 44th match. He became fourth Indian after Nayan Mongia (154 dismissals in 139 matches), Kiran More (90 in 94) and Rahul Dravid (84 in 73) to reach this milestone.
With this Dhoni also completed the all-round double of 1,000 runs and 50 dismissals.
Ramnaresh Sarwan's 98 is the highest not out score in the nineties by any batsman in the Caribbean. The previous highest was 95* by Brian Lara against Pakistan at Port-cof-Spain on March 26, 1993 and by Chris Gayle against Zimbabwe at St. George's on May 10, 2006.
Sarwan became first batsman in the history of one-day internationals to register unbeaten scores of 99 and 98. Incidentally his unbeaten 99 had also come against India at Ahmedabad on November 15, 2002.
The 34-run partnership between Sarwan and Taylor is West Indies best for the ninth wicket against India in West Indies. This obliterated the previous record stand of 20 between Courtney Browne and Franklyn Rose at Kingstown on April 30, 1997.
Ajit Agarkar, by conceding just 25 runs in his ten overs (Econ.2.50 runs/over), returned best figures of his career in a ten-over
spell. He had conceded 27 runs in 10 overs against Kenya at Bloemfontein on October 12, 2001.
Yuvraj Singh (93) became a victim of nervous nineties for the second time in his career. His other score in nineties was an unbeaten 98 against Sri Lanka at Colombo (SSC) on August 1, 2001.
It was only the second time when Yuvraj Singh was LAST out while chasing a target. The other instance was also against West Indies at Vijayawada on November 24, 2002 when India were chasing a target of 316 and lost by 135 runs.
Yuvraj's innings contributed 47.20 % of Indian total. Only one batsman England's Ian Botham (48.00 % - 60 out of 125) at Kingstown on 04-02-1981) has made higher contribution in team's all-out total against West Indies in West Indies.
Yuvraj has now taken his runs-tally in the year 2006 to 717 highest by an Indian. He surpassed Rahul Dravid's 652. Now only Sri Lanka's Kumara Sangakkara (820) has scored more runs than Yuvraj in 2006.
The 43-run partnership between Yuvraj and Powar is India's best for the eighth wicket against West Indies in West Indies, obliterating the 24-run partnership between Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan at Port-of-Spain on June 1, 2002.
India lost the match by one run their third defeat by the narrowest margin. They had twice lost to Australia by the same margin - at Chennai on October 9, 1987 and at Brisbane on March 1, 1992.
India's defeat by one run is the narrowest defeat for any visiting country in the Caribbean. England had lost to West Indies by two runs at Kingstown in 1981, which was the previous smallest margin of defeat for a visiting side.
The defeat also brought an end to India's streak of 17 consecutive wins while chasing.
The defeat was India's first in last four matches against West Indies.
