Captain cool Dhoni secures quarters spot for India
Print Edition
DEFENDING champion India survived a scare to beat the West Indies by four wickets at Perth’s WACA Ground yesterday to remain unbeaten in the World Cup and so secure a place in the quarterfinals.
Set a modest 183 to win by the West Indies in the Pool B match, the Indians made hard work of the run chase before captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni steered them safely home.
Dhoni’s 45 not out enabled India to make it four wins from four after it looked in real trouble at 134 for six. The skipper and Ravi Ashwin (16 not out) put on an unbeaten 51 for the seventh wicket, as the unlikely West Indies challenge finally wilted. Victory kept India on target to claim top spot in the pool, while the West Indies’ last eight hopes are no longer entirely in their own hands after two wins from five matches.
On a lively pitch that offered pace, bounce and movement, the Indians were clearly unsettled by a short-pitched barrage from the West Indies, which wound back the clock to their halcyon days at a venue their great pace attacks relished.
Jerome Taylor (two for 33) sparked the West Indies early on, claiming the wickets of opener Shikhar Dhawan (nine) and Rohit Sharma (seven), while Andre Russell also claimed two for 43. However, their cause wasn’t helped by conceding 19 wides, nine from Russell’s bowling. Such a competitive match had seemed highly improbable when the West Indies slumped to 85 for seven as their World Cup rollercoaster continued after they won the toss and elected to bat.
However, a fighting half-century from captain Jason Holder, batting at No. 9, and some shoddy Indian fielding, helped revive the West Indian cause. It didn’t look enough, but at least gave the West Indians bowlers a total they could aim to defend.
Holder’s highest score in one-day internationals was just 22 until the West Indies’ previous match against South Africa, but made it consecutive half-centuries with some clean hitting.
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