Yuvi, Zaheer sizzle as India rout Windies

Chennai, March 20: India upped their game to induce a middle-order collapse from the West Indies as the visitors slumped from 154/3 to 165/7 in the space of 5.3 overs. After Zaheer Khan returned in his second spell to clean up a cruising Devon Smith for 81, the Windies had no answers to the prodigious turn and crafty flight of slow-left-armer Yuvraj Singh as he picked up two crucial wickets. Finally, Zaheer helped wrap up the match with a match haul of 3/26.
After the Windies put 132/2 on the board in 25 overs, the batsmen at the crease - Devon Smith and Ramnaresh Sarwan - kept pummeling away for runs. In the 26th over, Sarwan got Pathan away for a boundary, while Smith smacked Munaf for another four in the following over. Then Bhajji bowled a rare maiden. But a couple of overs later, the Windies had brought up their 150. However, Zaheer rejoined the attack soon after and was successful straight away. He cleaned up Devon Smith for 81 off 97 balls and the Windies were 154/3 in 30.3 overs. Then Bhajji struck when he had Kieron Pollard caught by Yusuf Pathan at long on. The power-hitter was on his way for 1 and the Windies had slipped to 157/4 in 31.5 overs.

Then Yuvraj came to the party, getting Devon Thomas stumped for 2 as the Windies slumped to 160/5 in 34.2 overs. West Indies captain Darren Sammy was the new man at the crease with a well-set Sarwan at the other end. But then the skipper was run out for 2 as the Windies were in the midst of their own collapse at 162/6 ion 35.3 overs. The visitors still needed 107 runs off 87 balls.

Yuvraj then got a flighted ball to bounce and turn as Andre Russell hit it straight to point. the batsman was on his way for a duck and the Windies were now 165/7 in 37 overs. 5 wickets had fallen for 11 runs. But the slide only continued as Sulieman Benn was caught at mid off for 3 off Zaheer and teh Windies' tail was exposed at 178/8 in 40 overs.

Zaheer then returned to remove Sarwan for 39 off 68 balls as the Windies had reached the hopeless position of 182/9. Then after Devendra Bishoo struck a four and he and Ravi Rampaul ran a couple of singles, Ashwin bowled the latter to hand India victory by 80 runs.

Off-break R Ashwin opened the bowling for India, but was unable to make any immediate impact as the West Indies openers began their side's innings effectively.

Devon Smith took two fours off Zaheer Khan, one in the 2nd and one in the 4th over, while Kirk Edwards knocked a boundary off Ashwin in the 3rd. In between, Edwards was actually run-out by Virat Kohli, but the umpire didn't refer it upstairs and the batsman survived.

Harbhajan Singh was greeted into the attack by a huge six over long off from Edwards. But in the very next over, Ashwin had the same batsman trapped in front from a decision that was referred for review. Edwards was on his way for 17 and the Windies were 33/1 in 6.2 overs.

Darren Bravo and Smith took their side to past 50 in the 12th over. In the following over, Bhajji bowled four byes after which Smith smacked him for a four. The momentum kept swinging the Windies' way as Bravo lofetd Aswin for a six and then swatted him for a four as his the visitors climbed to 73/1 in 13 overs.

But Suresh Raina then got the breakthrough in his first over when he had Bravo caught by Bhajji at long on for 22 off 29 balls. The Windies were 91/2 in 17 overs. In the 19th over, Smith smacked Rain for a four and then ran a single off him to notch up a half century off 64 balls. In the same over, the batting duo had brought up the Windies' 100.

Yuvraj Singh was brought on to bowl in the 21st over and was straight away cut for four by Smith who carted the same bowler for a six in his next over. In 25 overs, the Windies has climbed to 132/2.

Oneindia Cricket

View the original article here