For India, the series’ opening two games were close affairs in which both sides remained in the game until the last ball was bowled. But while the visitors finished a 3-0 sweep of the West Indies, they had it considerably easier during the third one-day international at Port-of-Spain.
India received all the assistance they required after contributions from Shubman Gill, who scored a career-high 98*, Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 58, and Shreyas Iyer, who scored a quickfire 44. In addition, all of their bowlers contributed as West Indies soon faded throughout the chase.
India scored 225 in 36 overs before their innings was cut short due to a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay, forcing the hosts to chase a DLS-revised mark of 257 in 35 overs.
In the second over of the chase, Mohammed Siraj put the West Indies on the back foot by clean bowling Kyle Mayers and trapping Shamarh Brooks in front with an angled delivery. At that point, after nine deliveries, West Indies were 0 for 2.
Shubham Gill helped India to move closer to victory
With a 47-run stand, Brandon King and Shai Hope temporarily had them back on track before Hope was caught for 22 by Yuzvendra Chahal. Afterward, King and Nicholas Pooran formed another partnership that gave the West Indies hope before King was dismissed for 42 by Axar Patel’s arm ball in the 14th over.
West Indies required nearly 10 runs per over by that point, and even though Pooran hit two more fours off Axar, he was out for 42 in the 22nd over, thus putting a stop to the game that India’s opening hitters Gill and Dhawan had set up.
The Indian innings was declared halted with four planned over remaining due to a second rain stoppage, preventing Gill from reaching what would have been his first ODI hundred. India had 16 overs left when play began following the first rain delay because Gill and Iyer had accelerated the innings.
