India fast bowler Prasidh Krishna starred with the ball while Suryakumar Yadav raked up a brilliant half-century to help the hosts take an unassailable 2-0 lead.
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India displayed an all-round performance to bundle out the West Indies to 193 runs in the second ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. By the virtue of the victory, the hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Chasing a modest target of 238 runs, the visitors’ openers Shai Hope (27) and Brandon King (18) got their side off to a decent start before the latter was sent packing by wrecker-in-chief and fast bowler Prasidh Krishna. Incoming batter Darren Bravo (1), then, failed to do much with the bat but Sharmah Brooks (44) accepted the challenge with both hands and decimated the India bowling-attack.
Brooks looked in control of his 64-ball innings as he hit two boundaries and as many sixes but missed out on his half-century. He was also involved in a 39-run sixth wicket stand with Akeal Hosein (34) after wickets continued to fall on other end — Nicholas Pooran (9) and Jason Holder (2) — but failed to convert his start into a match-winning innings.
Middle-order batter Hosein who played a perfect second fiddle to Brooks notched up three boundaries in his 52-ball knock before he was removed by Shardul Thakur.
However, following their dismissals, Fabian Allen (13) and Odean Smith (24) were the major contributors for the visitors with their cameo knocks but failed to get going.
Krishna was the pick of the bowlers for India as he ratted the visitors top-order, scalping four wickets for an astonishing 12 runs in his spell of nine overs. His fellow seamers Shardul Thakur (2/41) and Mohamed Siraj (1/38) were also among wickets.
Meanwhile, India spinners led by Yuzvendra Chahal; Washington Sundar and Deepak Hooda also scalped a wicket each.
Earlier, asked to bat, India openers Rohit Sharma (5) and Rishabh Pant (18) failed to get going. Former India captain Virat Kohli also continued to struggle for runs as he was sent packing for 18.
However, Surayakumar Yadav and KL Rahul, forged a key partnership of 91 runs for the fourth wicket to rescue the sinking Indian ship from 43/3 to 134/4. Rahul missed out on a half-century by a run as he was run out after facing 48 deliveries which consisted of four boundaries and two sixes. Yadav, meanwhile, played a well paced innings of 83 balls which included five boundaries.
Following their dismissals, Washington Sundar (24) and Deepak Hooda (29), played important cameos to help India’s cause but the visitors continued to pick wickets at regular intervals of time.
Pooran utilized six bowlers in the second ODI and each of them repaid his faith by picking up at least one wicket. However, right-arm medium pacer Odean Smith was the pick of the bowlers as he returned figures of 29/2, in his spell of seven overs while the experienced Alzarri Joseph picked up two wickets for 36 runs.
India will look to sweep series in the third and final ODI at the same venue on Friday.
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