4th ODI: India v West Indies at Ahmedabad, 15 Nov 2002 CricInfo Live Report

4th ODI: India v West Indies at Ahmedabad, 15 Nov 2002
Anand Vasu

India innings: 25 overs,
West Indies innings: 25 overs, End of innings,
Pre-game: Toss & Teams,

INDIA STRUGGLE IN THE FACE OF BIG TOTAL
West Indies got off to a fine start defending 324 in the fourth game of this seven-match series. Virender Sehwag, the man all India looked up to in this run chase fell with just five runs on the board. After giving fans something to cheer about Sourav Ganguly too departed and India were in a spot of bother at 45/2. Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman effected a recovery of sorts, taking India to 148/2 in 25 overs.

Sehwag was undone by a snorter of a delivery from Merv Dillon that reared from a good length. All the pocket dynamo could do was fend the delivery away for Carl Hooper to catch at slip.

Ganguly then showed that he too was a dangerous customer. Moving away to the leg side and slashing hard, the Indian captain found his timing early on and pierced the gaps with regularity. After pinging as many as three boundaries and one six in his 16-ball 28, Ganguly tickled a leg side delivery from Pedro Collins to keeper Ridley Jacobs.

VVS Laxman started off tentatively, wafting at the ball outside the off and not quite finding his touch when the ball was on his pads. Lucky to survive as Chris Gayle dropped him in the slips, Laxman made the best of a challenging situation. While he did manage to open up and strike a few classic boundaries in reaching 66 (73 balls), his partner found the going harder.

Dravid, who has been fluent all series found the extra bounce the tall pacemen were generating disconcerting and could not score quickly. As the overs wound down and the required run rate began its steady climb, the look of tension on Dravid’s face became more and more persistent. At the half-way mark Dravid had 41 of 63 balls to his name and India were 148/2.

SARWAN STRANDED AS WEST INDIES PLUNDER 324
The international century eluded Ramnaresh Sarwan as the stylish middle-order batsman remained unbeaten on 99 as West Indies posted a mammoth 324/4 from 50 overs. The visitors now have an outstanding chance of going 3-1 up in this seven-match one-day series.

While Sarwan deserves all the praise for his consistency and all the commiserations for remaining high and dry on 99 not out (104 balls, 8 fours) a large part of the kudos must go to Chris Gayle.

Unlike Sarwan, the powerful left-hander had no problems in bringing up three figures. Having reached his second century of the tournament, the third of his career, Gayle went on to blunt the Indian bowling attack, reaching 140 (127 balls, 12 fours, 5 sixes) before a tired shot went down Murali Kartik’s throat at long off.

Carl Hooper, hobbling about on one good foot used his experience to great effect. Nudging, tapping, cutting and caressing with elegance, the West Indian skipper added momentum to the West Indian innings racking up 36 from just 27 balls (5 fours) late in the innings. This included one remarkable Yuvraj Singh over that went for 21 runs.

In all, the Indian bowling was torn to shreds. Only Harbhajan Singh, who returned figures of 1/30 from 10 overs, was in control. The rest could only watch helplessly as Gayle and company plundered merrily along.

GAYLE FORCE BLASTS INDIAN BOWLERS
The monsoons might be over but Chris Gayle is still ravaging India with his whirlwind batting. Crashing his way to a forthright 83 (79 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) Gayle once again put West Indies on track to chalking up a fighting total as West Indies reached 138/2 in 25 overs. Sourav Ganguly desperately needs to peg back the West Indies in the second half of this innings to give his batsmen a good chance to level this series.

While Gayle tore into the batting, with trademark drives, menacing pulls and one ferocious over off Ashish Nehra that yielded 19 runs including three fours and a six, Wavell Hinds faltered.

Flashing hard at a Srinath delivery, Hinds only managed an edge to the keeper. Hinds’ 26 (24 balls, 3 fours, 1 six) helped West Indies put on 80 for the first wicket in 8.6 overs.

Marlon Samuels, coming in at one drop also failed to get going and made just five before being run out in a horrible mix up with Gayle.

Ramnaresh Sarwan, chancing his arm every now and then, was unbeaten on 22 at the half-way mark.

Ashish Nehra, hammered for 45 runs from just four overs was easily the man who suffered most at Gayle's hands.

INDIA INSERT WEST INDIES AT AHMEDABAD
With security concerns looming large over both teams a packed house welcomed India and West Indies to the Sardar Patel (Gujarat) Stadium, Motera in Ahmedabad. Leading 2-1, West Indies have decided to bring back Carl Hooper and try to stretch their lead. Hooper, despite not being a hundred per cent fit is back in the side in place of Ricardo Powell.

The visitors made yet another change as left-arm seamer Pedro Collins finds his way back into the side in place of Cameron Cuffy.

India too made a couple of changes. Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik back in favour with the selectors gets a golden opportunity to showcase his wares, coming into the side in place of Jai P Yadav. Mediumpace bowling all-rounder Sanjay Bangar too gets a look in, replacing Ajit Agarkar.

When Sourav Ganguly won the toss, he had absolutely no hesitation in electing to field. Spurred by the manner in which India set off to chase 301 at Rajkot, the Indian skipper hopes to keep the momentum going.

The wicket itself has no grass on it and the red clay soil should make things perfectly good for batting. However, this pitch too has been recently re-laid and batsmen might have to be a bit wary to start off.

Teams:

West Indies team: CH Gayle, WW Hinds, MN Samuels, RR Sarwan, S Chanderpaul, *CL Hooper, +RD Jacobs, PT Collins, M Dillon, MV Nagamootoo, VC Drakes.

India team: *SC Ganguly, V Sehwag, VVS Laxman, +R Dravid, M Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, M Kartik, J Srinath, A Nehra, SB Bangar.