Axar Patel scored his maiden ODI fifty, an unbeaten 35-ball 64, as India defeated the West Indies by two wickets in the second game of the series in Port of Spain.
After being set a difficult total of 312, the visitors were down to 205 for 5 in 38.4 overs, but Patel revived India’s pursuit with his six-hitting prowess to send the visitors home on Sunday with two balls to spare.
India took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series when Patel hit Kyle Mayers for a six when India needed six off the final three balls. Patel’s unbeaten knock featured five sixes and three fours, and he shared 51 runs off of 33 balls with Deepak Hooda (33) to keep India in the game.
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In the India’s response, Shubman Gill (43) looked sharp as he smashed five boundaries in his 49-ball innings, while captain Shikhar Dhawan (13) struggled at the other end.
The India skipper was the first off the field after Mayers made an outstanding catch at third man off Romario Shepherd’s bowling.
Mayers then quickly removed two Indian batsmen, first getting rid of a well-positioned Gill and then Suryakumar Yadav (9), who once more dragged a ball to his stumps.
India pull off a thriller in the final over to win by 2 wickets. #WIvIND #MenInMaroon pic.twitter.com/0xnSYNMyzC
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) July 24, 2022
Iyer and Samson tried to extend the chase with a 99-run combination off 94 balls, however once had both left the field, India still required 105 runs from 11 overs.
After that, Patel put on a show for everyone by continuing to fight despite losing to Hooda and Shardul Thakur.
Hope had previously played the job of an anchor to perfection, scoring 65 runs with the team’s first-round starter Mayers (39), and then forming a second 62-run stand with Shamarh Brooks (35).
Later, Hope discovered his ideal partner in skipper Pooran, and the two collaborated on a 117-run stand.
Hope’s 135-ball 115-run performance included eight fours and three maximums before he was cheaply removed in the opening ODI.
Patel and Hooda, India’s spinners, were frugal (1/40 and 1/42) while Yuzvendra Chahal (1/69) was costly after being hit for six sixes and two fours.
Avesh Khan had a poor ODI debut (0/54 in 6 overs), but Mohammed Siraj (0/47) bowled nicely. Thakur (3/54) made up for it by taking three wickets in the final overs.
Hope appeared to be in top form as he played some beautiful off-side drives before hitting a six in the 45th over of his 100th ODI match to achieve the 300-run milestone.
Avesh, an Indian pacer who was making his debut, was destroyed earlier by Mayers, who smacked him for two consecutive boundaries in the fourth and sixth overs. Avesh, who was guilty of bowling too full and short, eventually gave up 36 runs in his first three overs.
Mayers sent his first two balls for a four and a six, so Thakur was not exempt either. However, Siraj managed to keep things close in his opening stint.
Mayers’ direct return to the bowler of Hooda’s first delivery led to the first breakthrough.
As only 42 runs were scored from the 11th to the 20th over, Hooda and Patel bowled in tandem as Brooks and Hopes attempted to form a partnership.
Chahal, who joined the attack later than expected, was destroyed by Hope and Brooks’ six and four in the 21st over.
However, the Indian captain made a terrible catch when Brooks was dismissed from the match by Patel, who had been called back by Dhawan.
Brandon King’s botched slog sweep delivered more setback to Chahal as WI fell to 130 for three.
After taking his time at first, Pooran used his feet to produce some powerful blows against the spinners, especially Chahal.
To achieve his fifty, Hope added three boundaries of his own and slog-swept Chahal for a six.
By the 38th over, the 200 run had been reach appreciation to two maximums from Pooran. The West Indies captain scored his fifty in the 39th over by launching two sixes off Chahal on opposite sides of the wicket.
A critical breakthrough was made when Thakur bowled Pooran around the legs after he sent Avesh over the ropes while on one knee and hit Patel for another six.
Later, Hope hit two sixes off Chahal to reach his century, and the hosts passed the 300-run threshold thanks to some ferocious smashes from Rovman Powell (13) and Romario Shepherd (14).
In the final 10 overs, West Indies collected 93 runs.
