India vs West Indies 2022: Sundar – Chahal Spin Duo Drive India To Victory In Its 1000th ODI
After a disappointing South Africa tour, India returned to winning ways with an impressive 6-wicket win over the West Indies in the first ODI of the 3-match series in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Winning the toss and opting to field, Indian bowlers dominated proceedings right from the start. Prasidh Krishna (2/29) and Mohammed Siraj (1/26) got the initial breakthroughs before the spinners ran through the visitors’ batting order. Yuzvendra Chahal (4/49) and Washington Sundar (3/30), piled on the pressure as the West Indies struggled to get going, eventually finishing on just 176 runs. In the chase, captain Rohit Sharma scored a quick-fire half century, paving the way for a comfortable win for the hosts.
India vs West Indies 2022: 4 Key Moments That Led to India’s Victory in the First ODI
1. Washington Sundar’s Spell in the PowerPlay
Making his India return after an injury lay-off that saw him miss the T20 World Cup last year, Washington Sundar made the most of the spin-friendly surface in Ahmedabad. Coming into bowl during the first PowerPlay, he generated enough turn to cause damage to the West Indies and dismissed Brandon King and Darren Bravo off consecutive deliveries. Later, Sundar broke the irritating 8th wicket stand between Holder and Allen, finishing with figures of 3/30.
2. Yuzvendra Chahal's Spin Magic
Yuzvendra Chahal broke the back of the West Indies middle order with 3 wickets in nine deliveries. His victims were Nicholas Pooran, skipper Pollard and Shamarh Brooks. Although he did concede 49 runs, those 3 wickets and the 4th wicket of tailender Alzarri Joseph were enough to guide India to victory. He also reached the milestone of 100 ODI wickets.
3. Prasidh Krishna's Opening Spell
India was impressive in the PowerPlay overs thanks to hostile spells from its new ball pacers, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. The latter was disciplined throughout his opening spell and made the opposition batters work for every run. He ended up as India's most economical bowler with figures of 2/29 from his 10 overs, with the key wicket of Jason Holder, who scored a fighting 57-run innings. He had earlier removed Akeal Hosein for a duck.
4. Excellent Use of the DRS by India and Rohit Sharma
Right from the coin toss, Rohit Sharma made all the right calls throughout the match. Right bowling changes, field placements and taking important DRS calls, Rohit had a perfect game as a skipper. He made 3 DRS calls, all of which turned out to be successful. Moreover, during the chase, he didn't give the visitors any chance as he went on the attack right from the start and scored 60 runs off 51 balls.uns off 51 balls.
Howzat, the fantasy cricket platform, will be hosting all the matches of the West Indies Tour of India on its fantasy app. You can get access to the latest cricket match predictions and trending cricket news on the Howzat blog. Download the cricket fantasy app now, make your dream team & start winning every day!
