Ravi Rampaul and debutant Sunil Narine shared six wickets to bowl the West Indies to a crucial 16-run victory over India in the third one-day international in Ahmedabad.
Fast bowler Rampaul finished with 4 for 57 and off spinner Narine with 2 for 34 as the West Indies bowled India out for 244 despite Rohit Sharma's solid 95, after posting a challenging 5 for 260 in the must-win match.
India now leads 2-1 in the five-match series following its victories in the opening two games, with Monday's defeat also ending its 11-match winning streak in one-day internationals at home.
It earlier looked like India would restrict the West Indies to a modest total when the tourists reached 3 for 167 after 43 overs, but skipper Darren Sammy (41 not out) and Andre Russell (40) plundered 79 off the last 34 balls.
"It was a good fight-back from the boys, the way we batted and that spell from Rampaul," Sammy said.
"(Marlon) Samuels and Narine also bowled well and it was a team effort. Sharma tried to take it away but we stuck at it."
The hosts were reeling at 6 for 105 but Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin (31) rallied their team with a 91-run stand for the seventh wicket before Narine struck a vital blow when he trapped Ashwin leg-before.
"It is very hard to chase when your top order fails," India skipper Virender Sehwag said.
"In the last few games, the lower order is scoring more than the top order. Till the time Rohit was there, we thought we could win the game.
"Unfortunately, he got run out and missed his century too."
The West Indies also let off the Indian pair during the early stages of their stand, with Sammy dropping Ashwin off Narine and then Sharma off paceman Kemar Roach.
Sammy, however, made amends when he ran Sharma out with a direct-hit from mid-on at the non-striker's end after the batsman had cracked one six and 10 fours in his 100-ball knock.
Abhimanyu Mithun (23) and Umesh Yadav (11 not out) gave some anxious moments to the West Indies with a 28-run stand for the last wicket before Rampaul ended the innings when he trapped Mithun leg-before.
India was struggling at 2 for 8 in the second over following the first-ball dismissals of Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, with Rampaul taking both the wickets with his first two deliveries.
Narine, who was pressed into the attack after only four overs, did not have to wait long for his first wicket as he trapped in-form Virat Kohli (20) leg-before to reduce the hosts to 3 for 43.
AFP
Tags: sport, cricket, india, jamaica First posted December 06, 2011 07:36:46
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