Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma scored sparkling fifties as a clinical India continued their domination over the West Indies with a six-wicket victory in the opening One-day International of the three-match series, in Kochi, on Thursday.
After the West Indies won the toss and decided to bat first, the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina did well to exploit the low and slow conditions of the Nehru stadium wicket and bundle out the tourists for a meagre 211 in 48.5 overs.
While Jadeja finished with three wickets for 34 runs, Raina took three for 37. Ravichandran Ashwin also chipped in with two for 42.
Kohli then smashed 86 off 84 balls, and Rohit got 72 off 81, as India chased down the target in 35.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
The former's knock was studded with nine boundaries and two huge sixes, while Rohit's innings was laced with eight hits to the fence and one over it.
But then Rohit and Kohli shared a 133-run second wicket stand that came off just 130 deliveries to lay the foundation for the easy victory.
None of the West Indies bowlers were able to cause any problems Kohli and Rohit as both the batsmen adopted attacking approach from the onset.
Rohit brought up his 19th ODI fifty off 53 balls as India reached the 100-run mark in 15.3 overs.
Kohli was not to be left behind and he got to his half century off 58 balls with a single off Dwayne Bravo in the 24th over.
But just when it seemed the duo would take India home without further damage, Rohit mistimed a pull to Lendl Simmons at deep midwicket off Ravi Rampaul's bowling in the next over.
Kohli, however, was in no mood to get bogged down by the dismissal and continued his attacking game.
Earlier, Darren Bravo was the lone West Indies batsman to cross the 50-run mark, hitting a patient 77-ball 59, laced with four fours and two sixes.
Opting to bat, the tourists lost Chris Gayle off the first delivery of the match as the destructive batsman fell short of his ground while trying to take a risky single.
Gayle, in fact, hurt himself while he tried to dive in and had to be carried out of the ground on a stretcher.
But the West Indies recovered quickly from the early loss and opener Johnson Charles joined hands with Marlon Samuels to put on a solid 65-run partnership for the second wicket.
The duo played with a lot of responsibility and picked the loose deliveries to play their shots. Having taken a couple of overs to settle down, the batsmen chose Jaydev Unadkat for special treatment.
In Unadkat's second over, Samuels hit a six over cover before Charles took over.
Charles repeatedly chose the aerial route during his 34-ball 42 (7x4, 1x6), which included three consecutive fours in a Bhuvaneshwar Kumar over.
But the introduction of Jadeja, who was left out of the Tests because of an injured shoulder, in the 11th over produced the desired result for India on the turning pitch.
Diving to his left, Jadeja took a one-handed blinder off his own bowling to send back Charles. A couple of overs later, Samuels was bowled by Raina for 24 off 35 balls.
However, despite losing two set batsmen following the introduction of spin, Darren Bravo and Lendl Simmons add another crucial 65 runs for the fourth wicket, although the boundaries almost dried up.
Raina then tightened the noose by trapping Simmons lbw before striking again to dismiss Narsingh Deonarine (4) to leave the visitors reeling at 152 for five.
Darren Bravo, though, held on to his wicket to complete his half-century even as the run-rate dipped drastically. But after taking the batting powerplay, he hit a couple of sixes and a four to release some pressure.
But it did not last long as Mohammed Shami cut short his innings.
Jadeja then struck hard in the next over to see off Dwayne Bravo with the Windies scorecard reading 187 for seven.
It was a matter of time before the visitors' innings folded in 48.5 overs.
Image: Rohit Sharma (left) and Virat Kohli compliment each other during the course of their innings
Photograph: BCCI
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