WI vs IND, 1st ODI: India beat West Indies by 5 wickets to go 1-up in the series

In the first ODI between India and West Indies held at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, India displayed dominance with both bat and ball. Earlier in the day India won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that proved to be advantageous. Making his ODI debut for India after his Test debut, Mukesh Kumar showed promising potential.

India made an impressive start with the ball, as Hardik dismissed Kyle Mayers early in the innings. Later Shardul Thakur accounted for the dismissal of Brandon King, while Mukesh Kumar celebrated his debut wicket by dismissing Alick Athanaze. With West Indies struggling at 45/3, they faced a challenging situation.

Amidst the struggle, Shai Hope stood as the lone warrior for the West Indies batting lineup, scoring 43 runs and emerging as the highest scorer for his side. However, the exceptional bowling performance of the Indian spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, led to the downfall of West Indies, who were bowled out for a mere 114 runs. Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm Chinaman, spun a web around the batsmen, scalping 4 wickets in his 3-over spell, conceding only 6 runs. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja accounted for the wickets of crucial middle-order batters, including Hetmyer, Powell, and Shepherd. Notably, Virat Kohli took a sharp catch in the slips to dismiss Romario Shepherd.

During the chase, India faced an early setback with the dismissal of Shubman Gill. Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill opened the innings but after Gill’s departure, Surya Kumar Yadav came in at no.3, yet failed to make a substantial contribution, getting out after scoring 19 runs. Ishan Kishan played a pivotal knock of 52 runs, but his efforts were cut short as he fell to Gudakesh Motie.

While it was expected that Rohit or Virat would come to bat next, it was Shardul Thakur who appeared and was dismissed for just 1 run, eventually paving the way for Rohit Sharma’s presence at the crease. Rohit, along with Ravindra Jadeja, successfully guided India to victory with 5 wickets in hand.

From the West Indies bowling attack, Gudakesh Motie took 2 wickets, while Jayden Seales and Yannic Cariah scalped one wicket each.

Looking ahead, the second ODI is scheduled to take place on 29th July in Barbados. India will be eager to secure another win and take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series, while West Indies will be determined to level the series.