Blistering spells from pacemen Kemar Roach and Andre Russell pegged India back. Then, leg-spinner Anthony Martin made deep inroads.
Displaying greater intent and resolve, the West Indies crushed India by 103 runs in the fourth One-Day International at the Vivian Richards Stadium here on Monday.
Pursuing 250, Suresh Raina's men were bundled out for 146 in the 39th over. India leads the five-match Digicel series 3-1 going into the final ODI in Kingston (Jamaica) on Thursday.
Martin, who scalped four, was adjudged Man-of-the-Match. Yet, it was pace that created the opening for the West Indies.
The surface for the game offered the bowlers more bounce and carry. Some of the young Indian batsmen were found wanting.
Stung by criticism, the West Indies appeared charged up. Roach bustled in and cranked up impressive speeds. He also got the deliveries to climb. Some old Indian failings resurfaced.
Pushed onto the backfoot by the rising deliveries, the batsmen were caught at the crease when the ball was pitched up.
Tiwary uncomfortable
Manoj Tiwary, thrust into a top-order role, appeared distinctly uncomfortable. The right-hander groped more in hope than conviction. Darren Bravo once even grassed a sitter at slip when Tiwary edged Roach.
Darren Sammy got a delivery to seam away from a length — the off-stump line was teasing — and a hapless Tiwary nicked to 'keeper Baugh.
Parthiv pulled Sammy when the paceman landed one short but soon succumbed to a change of pace. He failed to get to the pitch of the ball in his attempt to drive and Sammy held a reflex return catch.
The athletic Andre Russell too kept up the pressure, generating pace and producing a few mean short-pitched deliveries.
Off one such lifter, Subramanium Badrinath survived a vociferous appeal for a caught behind; the vicious short-pitched delivery was angled into the batsman.
Badrinath soon departed, gloving an attempted pull off Russell to 'keeper Baugh.
India was in trouble at 62 for three and the West Indians were full of beans.
Much of India's hopes hinged on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Between working the ball into the gaps, Rohit pulled Kieron Pollard for the maximum.
Kohli looked good when he drove and flicked. Martin provided the breakthrough to the Caribbeans. A quicker ball, deliberately bowled a little wider, beat Kohli's attempted drive pressing forward. Baugh pulled off a swift stumping. Martin, not a big spinner of the ball, had got this delivery to spin just a shade.
Rohit held firm but India lost wickets at the other end. Raina needed to dig in and then consolidate. But he went for glory and perished. An attempted slog-sweep off Martin — a leaping Pollard plucked the ball out of thin air at mid-wicket — was an ordinary shot by the captain in a pressure situation.
India slumped into further trouble. Yusuf Pathan, not having the best of series, biffed part-time seamer Lendl Simmons straight down long-off's throat. This was a forgettable dismissal. India was now reeling at 114 for six.
And when Rohit (39) unwisely attempted to sweep Martin against the turn to spoon up an easy offering, there was going to be only one result in the game.
Scorecard
West Indies: L. Simmons (run out) 67 (78b, 3x4, 3x6), D. Hyatt c Tiwary b Ishant 1 (4b), R. Sarwan c Tiwary b Praveen 1 (12b), Darren Bravo c Tiwary b Mishra 15 (36b, 2x4), M. Samuels lbw b Mishra 8 (21b), K. Pollard c Ishant b Ashwin 70 (72b, 6x4, 2x6), C. Baugh c Kohli b Praveen 39 (57b, 3x4), A. Russell c Kohli b Praveen 25 (14b, 3x4, 1x6), D. Sammy (not out) 1 (3b), K. Roach (not out) 4 (6b); Extras (lb-7, w-8, nb-3): 18; Total (for eight wkts. in 50 overs): 249.
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Hyatt), 2-12 (Sarwan), 3-65 (Bravo), 4-89 (Samuels), 5-103 (Simmons), 6-199 (Pollard), 7-240 (Baugh), 8-240 (Russell).
India bowling: Praveen 10-3-37-3, Ishant 10-0-60-1, Ashwin 10-1-39-1, Mishra 10-3-56-2, Yusuf 6-0-24-0, Tiwary 4-0-26-0.
India: P. Patel c & b Sammy 26 (32b, 3x4), M. Tiwary c Baugh b Sammy 2 (17b), V. Kohli st. Baugh b Martin 22 (33b, 1x4), S. Badrinath c Baugh b Russell 12 (27b, 1x4), R. Sharma c Bravo b Martin 39 (47b, 1x6), S. Raina c Pollard b Martin 10 (19b), Yusuf c Roach b Simmons 1 (2b), R. Ashwin c Samuels b Russell 15 (27b), Praveen c Sammy b Russell 6 (13b), A. Mishra (not out) 5 (14b), I. Sharma st. Baugh b Martin 0 (3b); Extras (b-4, lb-2, w-2): 8; Total (in 39 overs): 146.
Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Tiwary), 2-41 (P. Patel), 3-62 (Badrinath), 4-82 (Kohli), 5-111 (Raina), 6-114 (Yusuf), 7-124 (R. Sharma), 8-138 (Praveen), 9-145 (Ashwin).
West Indies bowling: Roach 8-1-22-0, Sammy 9-0-43-2, Russell 7-0-16-3, Pollard 4-0-20-0, Martin 10-0-36-4, Simmons 1-0-3-0.
Man of the Match: Anthony Martin.
