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West Indies stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran rued his team's performance with the bat after they succumbed to a 44-run defeat to India in the second ODI in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
The Windies restricted India to 237-9 after winning the toss. However, they faltered in their chase, getting reduced to 117-6, before a few lower-order partnerships took them closer to their target.
India's pacers eventually came out on top, with two wickets in two overs to break the visitors' resistance. With the win, the hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
At the post-match press conference, Nicholas Pooran said:
"Definitely let it slip away with the bat. We weren't able to string together any partnerships. and kept losing wickets at key intervals."
West Indies were in trouble at 76-5 before Akeal Hosein put on a 41-run stand with Shamarh Brooks to keep the visitors in the hunt.
After Brooks became Deepak Hooda's maiden ODI victim in the 31st over, Hosein soldiered on with Fabian Allen. The two put on 42 runs for the seventh wicket, and were looking set when Mohammed Siraj got Allen to edge behind with a short delivery.
In the next over, Shardul Thakur got the wicket of Hosein with another bouncer to all but end West Indies' hopes.
"We lost the game in the 39th over. It was crucial with Fabian and Akeal getting out in quick succession. The more cricket we play together will hopefully make us better as batters," Pooran said.
"Sky is the limit for him" - Nicholas Pooran on Odean Smith
Nicholas Pooran skippered West Indies in the second ODI, as a niggle ruled out regular captain Kieron Pollard. The swashbuckling left-hander said that Pollard should be fine for the third and final ODI.
"He's a tough guy; he'll be fine, I'm sure," Pooran said.
For the injured Pollard, Odean Smith came in and impressed, taking two wickets and hitting 24 off 20 deliveries, with two sixes and a boundary.
"He's special as well. He's a big guy who can smash it, and bowl at 140 kmph. He's a young guy. Experience will be key, but the sky is the limit for him," Pooran added.
Speaking about what the West Indies need to do in the next ODI, Nicholas Pooran said:
"We'll try to come hard again. We did that with our bowling today. Hopefully we can repeat that, and do much better with the bat in the final game."
The third and final game will take place at the same venue on Friday.
