India sign off with final victory - TeluguPeople.com News

CHENNAI: Manoj Tiwary's maiden hundred (104 retd hurt; 126b, 10x4, 1x6) and brilliant effort by Indian seamers Irfan Pathan, Abhimanyu Mithun and Ravindra Jadeja towards the end enabled India to beat West Indies by 34 runs in the fifth and final one-dayer at Chepauk under lights here on Sunday.

For the West Indies Kieron Pollard came good with a magnificent 119. India who had already clinched the series added one more win to finish 4-1.

Chasing 268 for a win West Indies had a disastrous start losing Lendl Simmons for the first ball of their innings to Irfan Pathan.

Later Pathan castled Powell with a peach of a delivery. Mithun at the other end too bowled with lot of fire and accounted for Marlon Samuels and Jason Mohammed.

Samuels was given a doubtful decision by umpire S Asnani, while Mohammed was trapped in front. WI were tottering at 36 for 4.

Pollard who has not been playing his best ran into form on Sunday with an aggressive innings. He treated all the spinners with disdain and scored sixes at will.

Andre Russell too put the long handle to effective use and had the Indians on the mat for a while.

When this partnership was threatening to take the match away from India, Gautam Gambhir got the breakthrough when he ran out Russell with a direct throw.

This wicket was the turning point of the match as WI were reduced to 167 for 6. Later Sammy too gifted his wicket away and Pollard looked dejected.

During this phase Jadeja and Suresh Raina bowled a better line thus checking the run flow and picking up wickets. Pollard did not give up and took the battle till the very end.

He waited and picked the line early to crack sixes only. His straight six off Pathan over the bowlers head on to the sight screen was the pick of the lot.

When on 99 he was dropped by Kohli near the ropes off Rahul and this boundary brought in his maiden ton.

Later it was Rahane who took a catch in the deep off Raina to ring in celebrations in the Indian camp.

Pollard's innings(119; 110b 4x4, 10x6) can be easily regarded as one of the finest played at Chepauk in a long time.

Earlier, Manoj's century stand (117 in 18.5 overs) for the fourth wicket with Virat Kohli set the ball rolling for India to post a challenging 267 for 6 in 50 overs.

Coming in when India were reeling at 2 for 1 Tiwary played a workman like innings to bail India out of the

precarious situation.

Ajinkya Rahane and Parthiv Patel fell off successive deliveries off an energetic Kemar Roach thus reducing India to 2 for 1. Came in Tiwary and he built the innings with Gambhir.

Manoj and Gambhir added 82 runs for the third wicket and then forged an excellent partnership with Virat Kohli to negate the initial breakthroughs that the visitors achieved.

Tiwary and Kohli's partnership was not all about boundaries but excellent running between the wickets.

The duo who have played a lot of cricket at the junior level impressed with better understanding and maturity. Tiwary who was a bit sketchy initially against the spinners later played them with authority

Kohli who during the course of his 80 overtook Jonathan Trott as the highest run getter in ODI this season. He timed the ball to a nicety and his excellent footwork showed that he has a bright future in Indian cricket.

Kohli while on 80 tried to cart Martin over the ropes but the angled shot ended straight into the hands of Samuels at long on.

The West Indian attack after initial promise failed to apply pressure and erred in length to allow Tiwary and Kohli to blossom.