Wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s hat-trick proved the icing on the cake after openers Rohit Sharma and K.L. Rahul’s brilliant centuries as India scripted a 107-run win against the West Indies in the second ODI at the Dr. YSR-ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Wednesday.
Pulling level
The victory helped Kohli’s men pull level and take the series to the decider at Cuttack on December 22.
A superb piece of fielding by Shreyas Iyer from the deep to run out Shimron Hetmyer and a beauty from left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja to castle Roston Chase turned the contest on its head. Pacer Shardul Thakur had struck the first blow, inducing a false shot from opener Evin Lewis who skied to deep midwicket.
Lucky Hope
Lewis’ partner Shai Hope, who was dropped on zero at second slip by Rahul off seamer Deepak Chahar, put on a 106-run stand for the fourth wicket with a belligerent Nicholas Pooran. The left-hander, too, earned a reprieve on 22 when fielder Chahar grassed him off Jadeja. However, once pacer Mohammed Shami sent back Pooran, who pulled straight to the deep fielder, and dismissed Kieron Pollard for a first-ball duck — the West Indies skipper had earlier removed Virat Kohli for a golden duck — the chase unravelled.
In the 33rd over, Kuldeep, who had taken a hat-trick in an ODI against Australia in 2017 in Kolkata, sent back Hope, Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph off successive deliveries to become the first Indian to claim two hat-tricks in ODIs. In a remarkable similarity, the chinaman bowler had performed the feat against the Aussies in the 33rd over too!
When India was asked to bat first, Rohit served another reminder that he is more dangerous when he’s slow off the blocks.
After a cautious start, he went on to score his 28th ODI century, outscoring Rahul who had begun more aggressively. For Rahul, this was his third ODI hundred, and the first at home.
The two put on 227 for the opening wicket, dashing Pollard’s hopes of making early inroads on a pitch which offered little for the bowlers.
In top gear
Rahul blazed away at the start, the six over point off Jason Holder the pick of the shots. He also smashed debutant left-arm spinner Khary Pierre over long-on for a six.
Rohit, who was dropped on 70, pulled pacer Joseph nonchalantly over fine-leg for a six and then hit a stunning shot over cover off Holder, even falling in the process.
Rahul, who reached his century with a half-pull off Joseph, soon perished to the same bowler.
Gone in no time
Skipper Kohli arrived to a thunderous roar at the venue where he has scored three ODI centuries, but there was a deafening silence soon as he fell for a rare first-ball duck. Pollard, bowling his first over, dug one short and Kohli mistimed his pull to be caught inside the circle.
Rohit, who looked good for another double century in this format, fell to left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell in the 44th over.
Pant, Shreyas’ sizzlers
The Indians weren’t finished yet as Shreyas, who scored his fourth consecutive half-century, and southpaw Rishabh Pant hammered 73 in just four overs.
Pant’s scoring sequence off Cottrell read 6, 0, 4, 6, 4, 4 (46th over) while in the next, Shreyas carted Chase all around (6, 6, 4, 6, 6).
The teams observed a two-minute silence before the start in memory of West Indies batting legend Basil Butcher, who passed away on Monday.
