Rampaul, Morton guide West Indies to win over India

West Indies came back strongly in the second ODI played at Kingston in Jamaica to level the series with a thrashing, eight-wicket win over the Indians. The hosts had lost a thrilling, high-scoring encounter in the first game and with this win, the scoreline reads 1-1 with two more games to be played.

India won the toss and decided to bat first on a pitch that he thought was a perfect batting wicket, but it soon became evident that he had misread the pitch. The wicket swung and nipped around a bit with evident extra moisture on it, as the team lost three quick wickets for seven runs! Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma played rather atrocious shots to be dismissed by Ravi Rampaul for a duck each, while last game’s fifty-maker Dinesh Karthik got a peach of a delivery to walk back for four to Jerome Taylor. Rampaul was making a comeback to the side, and he replaced Lionel Baker in the team.

Yuvraj Singh looked in good touch in the game, continuing from where he had left off and in the partnership with captain Dhoni, added 47 for the fourth wicket. This included the shot of the inning, and in all probabilities, of the match as well, when Yuvi punched a ball on the leg-side like he was stealthily swatting a fly, but the ball travelled outside the fence for a rather huge six.
However, Taylor got rid of Yuvraj, and four wickets fell for the addition of 28 more runs to reduce India to 82/8 and with a huge chance of being bowled out before the 25th over itself!

Dhoni was then joined by R.P.Singh and the duo began by the captain shielding the number 10 batsman by refusing singles. Singh’s confidence grew over time, as the West Indian bowlers started looking ragged, while Dhoni opened his arms at the introduction of the spinners.
The pair added 101 for the ninth wicket – only the fifth such occasion when the ninth wicket had seen more than a century added – and India ended their inning on 188. Dhoni scored 95, and fell agonisingly short of the century when he was bowled off a Taylor slower delivery.

However, with the pitch having flattened out completely, India needed a couple of early wickets to have any kind of a chance. And while they did get two wickets, they were by no means early; Chris Gayle and Runako Morton adding 101 for the first wicket in just over 15 overs!

Gayle was consumed by part-time spinner Rohit Sharma for a swashbuckling 46-ball 64, while Ramnaresh Sarwan also fell to the same bowler to leave the hosts at 132/2. However, Morton and Chanderpaul guided the team to a victory without any further hiccups and the West Indians triumphed by eight wickets and with almost 16 overs to spare!

Rampaul’s four wicket haul – 4/37 off his ten overs – won him the man-of-the-match award, while Morton ended his inning with an unbeaten 85.

The third ODI will be played on Friday.