Scorecard | Prem Panicker on the 2nd ODI
India's bowlers produced a miserly performance to restrict the West Indies to a modest 198 for 9 in the second One-Day International at the Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday.
Put into bat for the second successive time, the hosts showed none of the belligerence of the opening match at the same venue while the Indians were more accurate with the ball and intensity on the field.
The West Indies innings revolved around Ramnaresh Sarwan's unbeaten 98 that lifted them first from 43-4 and then 105-6 to give the total a semblance of respectability.
India's new ball bowlers Irfan Pathan (3-45) and Ajit Agarkar (2-25) set the tone for the proceedings with tidy opening spells.
Sarwan, who faced 138 balls and hit seven fours and a six, shared a 60-run stand with Marlon Samuels (10) and later in the closing stages stitched a valuable 38-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Carlton Baugh (21).
The vice-captain, who survived more than one run-out chance, moved into his 90s in style, collecting two fours and a six off Pathan in the 49th over.
But he was stranded two short of a century as Jerome Taylor failed to rotate the strike.
India won the toss and again chose to field, relying on their impressive record of successful chases, even though there was nothing in the conditions to favour the bowlers.
Neither Chris Gayle (0), centurion from the previous game, nor captain Brian Lara (14) were of any use and but for the Sarwan-Samuels association, the innings could have been further in shambles.
Pathan set the trend with two successive maidens and the wicket of Runako Morton (1) with a delivery that kept low and found the batsman in front of stumps.
Agarkar, in between those two overs, had provided India with the first breakthrough by inducing Gayle to flirt with an away delivery and edge it to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for nought.
Lara flicked and square cut Pathan for two boundaries in successive overs but the latter had his revenge when he brought the left-hander forward and guided an easy catch to lone slip Rahul Dravid.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul clobbered Harbhajan Singh for two fours in the off-spinner's very first over but the latter got his even with a delivery that sat up for the batsman to cut it hard but straight to cover fielder Mohammad Kaif.
Like Harbhajan, Powar too started poorly, conceding eight runs in his first over, but then recovered to finish with 2 for 38 from his allotted 10 overs.
Harbhajan was similarly miserly and ended up with one for 32 from his 10 overs as batsmen couldn't come to grips with his variety and guile.
Pathan came back for his second spell to clean up Ian Bradshaw (12) and Agarkar too chipped in with one in his final to leave West Indies short of 200 runs.
