IND vs WI 2023: 3 moments that created a buzz among fans in 1st ODI

Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli's stunning reflex catch was arguably one of the best moments from the first ODI (P.C.:Twitter)

Team India steamrolled the West Indies (WI) in the first of the three-match ODI series played at Bridgetown, Barbados, winning the game with five wickets in hand.

Electing to bowl first, the visitors were just too good with their plans as the hosts' batting once again failed to show any spine. An incredible batting collapse saw them bowled out for just 114, with Kuldeep Yadav being the pick of the bowlers with stunning figures of 4/6.

The Indian team management decided to hold back the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and send other batters ahead to give them some game time. Ishan Kishan made the most of it with a fine half-century.

While there were a few hiccups for the Men in Blue on their way to chase down the target, they did just enough to ensure that the hosts didn't get a foot into the door.

On that note, let's take a look at three moments from the game that grabbed the attention of fans:


#1 Virat Kohli's sensational slip catch

Virat Kohli's slip-catching had been under the scanner for the past few months, especially with some of the chances that went down in Tests. However, the star player showed just how good he is with the reflexes with a stunning grab to send Romario Shepherd packing.

Shepherd tried to drive a delivery from Ravindra Jadeja away from his body and the ball just gripped enough to take a thick outside edge off his bat. While the ball seemed to be traveling, Kohli dove to his right and grabbed a one-handed stunner. The Indian fielders were ecstatic and rightly so since it was a sensational catch.


#2 Hardik Pandya's controversial run out

Hardik Pandya would arguably count himself unlucky to have been run out at the non-striker's end in the first ODI. Ishan Kishan tried to smash Yannic Cariah over his head, but could only hit it straight back to the leg-spinner.

While the bowler couldn't hold onto the catch, the ricochet meant that the ball hit the stumps at the non-striker's end. Pandya was baking up and while he tried to get back inside the crease, the bat seemed to bounce and the third umpire felt that it was in the air when the bails were dislodged.

Some fans on social media shared snippets that suggested that there might have been some part of the bat inside the crease before it bounced and felt that Pandya should have been deemed not out.


#3 Rohit Sharma the finisher

Rohit Sharma had demoted himself down the order and probably wouldn't have expected to walk out to bat when the target was just 115. But, the Indian captain had to at 97/5 in what could have been a tricky situation. However, Rohit provided the calmness that the chase needed as he and Ravindra Jadeja ensured there were no further hiccups.

Rohit playing the reverse sweep is not something one watches every day so that boundary was a moment that many fans talked quite a lot about. One of the best openers in the world had played the role of a finisher, something that he used to do in his early cricketing days.

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