India Limp off to a 4-Wicket Win in low-scoring game

India 98 for 6 (Rohit 24, Narine 2-14) beat West Indies: 95 for 9 (Pollard 49, Saini 3-17) by four wickets

Lauderhill: India beat West Indies by 4-wicket win against West Indies in Lauderhill on Saturday, lead 1-0.

Debutant Navdeep Saini starred with the ball for India, finishing with 3/17 in his 4 overs as India restricted West Indies to 95/9 in 20 overs.

For West Indies, Keiron Pollard, who is making a comeback, showed some resistance with the bat. The all-rounder scored a fighting 49 off 49 balls, which included 4 sixes.

Chasing 96, India didn’t get off to a good start as they lost Dhawan in the second over the innings to Sheldon Cottrell. Rohit Sharma (24 off 25 balls) looked in good touch but not for too long. Narine got back-to-back to wickets of Rohit and Pant. The young batsman swept the first ball he faced straight to deep square.

Manish Pandey (19 off 14 balls) and skipper Virat Kohli (19 off 29 balls), despite an attractive 32-ran stand couldn’t see India home.

In the end it was all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (10) and Washington Sundar (8) who made sure the side doesn’t falter anymore as India reached the target with 16 balls to spare.

Earlier, spinner Washington Sundar, who opened the bowling, gave India the perfect start after winning the toss. He dismissed opener John Campbell (0) off the second delivery.

Senior pro Bhuvneshwar Kumar also chipped in. He bowled Evin Lewis (0) in the next over.

West Indies kept losing wickets and never showed any intent. The highest partnership of the innings was between Pollard and his captain Carlos Brathwaite (9) of 34 runs for the sixth wicket.