Rohit Sharma Power India to a 45 Run Win over West Indies

Ind-v-WI-warm-up-tie
India had a comfortable 45 runs win against West Indies in the first World T20 warm up match at Eden Gardens. Image Source: twitter@icc

Internet Desk: India kick started its World T20 campaign in style beating West Indies in the first warm up tie by 45 runs at the Eden Gardens. Batting first, India posted 185/5, riding on a superb knock from Rohit Sharma. Rohit scored an unbeaten 57-ball 98.

Chasing 186 runs to win , the West Indies openers began on a brisk note but wickets at regular intervals dented their chances of a win .Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Pawan Negi picked up two wickets each while Jasprit Bumrah and Harbhajan Singh had a wicket each.

Star for the night was Rohit Sharma as he continued his run scoring spree at his favorite ground.

“Eden has always been my lucky ground. I have not gone into bat looking back at my previous record at this ground.”

“I tried to play my natural game. To get runs at the start of ICC World T20 will give me confidence.”

“I do not regret missing the ton as the team comes first. My role was to stay out there and build on the innings as two wickets fell early. This will be role in this WorldT0”

Rohit also praised Yuvraj for his patient knock of 31 runs as they piled a partnership of 89 runs for the third wicket.

Continuing his love-affair at a venue where he had scored an ODI world record 264 and led Mumbai Indians to two IPL titles in 2013 and 2015 seasons, Sharma plundered the Windies attack with seven sixes and nine fours in his unbeaten 98 from 57 balls to power India to 185 for six after they elected to bat following a mutual decision.

But the Indian opener missed the century by just two runs as his run was briefly halted when he was stranded in the nonstriking end with Jerome Taylor picking wickets of Pawan Negi (8) and Hardik Pandya (0) of consecutive balls.

He finally got the strike in the fourth over and raced to 98 with a boundary over fine leg with a topedge and with a 30,000-plus crowd on their feet with mobile flash cameras he missed to score in the next two balls to miss the mark by two runs.

Yuvraj Singh played a fine cameo of 31 from 20 balls (1×6, 3×4) as their third wicket partnership of 89 balls from 46 balls lifted India from being 62/2 at the midway stage.

In reply, the Windies were off to a flying start with Chris Gayle (20 from 11 balls; 3×4, 1×6) on fire but the bighitting opener was bowled by Jasprit Bumrah in his first over before Pawan Negi (2/15) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/26) dented their chase as they were bowled out for 140 in 19.2 overs.

Gayle took the attack on Indian camp who started off their defence with Ravichandran Aswhin and Harbhajan Singh the duo leaking 26 runs in the first two overs with the bighitter Jamaican on fire.

Returning from an injury layoff, Mohammed Shami was hit for two boundaries as Windies raced to 35 for no loss in first three overs when Dhoni brought in the sligshot Bumrah and he was right on target castling the dangerman Gayle with a full length delivery.

Shami made it 40/2 in the next over dismissing the other opener Johnson Charles (18) and when their batsmen needed to build up from there they seemed clueless to the spin pair of Negi and Jadeja who ran through the middle order.

Shami looked fully fit and returned with 2/30 before Harbhajan cleaned up the tail.

Electing to bat after a mutual decision, India had a watchful start and leftarm spinner Sulieman Benn (2/30) gave the breakthrough when he bowled Shikhar Dhawan for 21.

The lefthander looked in fine form but missed the line while playing across and his wicket slowed down the runrate with No 3 Ajinkya Rahane (7) stumped when he tried to step out to Benn.

But India finally broke free in the 11th over when Sharma smashed two fours and one six against rookie offspinner Ashley Nurse, who had replaced their ace spinner Sunil Narine in the squad.

In the next over Sharma brought up his halfcentury from 37 balls when he displayed a clever improvisation over fine leg boundary against Russell.

Dropped on nine Nurse, Yuvraj too joined the party as the duo accounted for 18 runs in the 16th over to Darren Sammy before the stylish lefthander was top edged one to be caught by Taylor.

Sharma had one blip in his unstoppable innings when on 90 he misjudged a run from the nonstriking end in the 19th over but luck too favoured him.

The Indian opener had almost given after running midway into the strip as bowler Russell from his run-up had the full view of the stumps from 10 yards.

Russell took his time to aim but only to throw towards mid-on as the Windies fielding looked sloppy.

India will now take on South Africa in their second warm-up match on March 12.