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The entire series thus far between India and Windies was fought closely until the 4th ODI where the visitors were humbled by the Indian bowlers at Pune. The series was not totally lost for the visitors as they had a wonderful opportunity to draw the series with India in India for the first time ever.
Windies captain won the toss and surprisingly decided to bat first on a wicket which had little moisture in it and overcast conditions above it. Asked to bowl first Indian bowlers arrived with the same mood as in Pune. Both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah were consistent upfront and bowled the right lines to the opening batsmen. The wicket was not ideal for batting and needed some application from the batting unit to score runs as the ball was holding a bit on the surface. Sadly, none of the Windies batsmen showed intent and lost their wickets owing to poor shot selection.
It all started when Kieran Powell nicked one from Bhuvneshwar in the very first over as he tried to play away from his body. Soon Bumrah accounted for the in-form Shai Hope with a good inswinging delivery. Poor batting display from the entire team reduced the visitors to a record low total of 104 against India.
In reply, India didn't have much work to do out there as the chase was like a walk in the park considering the batting form of the Indian top order. But Shikhar Dhawan disappointed yet again with a low score of 6 trying to play the shot sans feet movement and dragged the ball onto his stumps.
It was a rare series flop for Shikhar Dhawan where he couldn't get past the half-century mark even once. It was captain Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who played sensibly and helped India to a chase the total within 15 overs. Rohit Sharma was fantastic once again making it count and helped himself another half-century in a small run chase. With that highly one-sided match, India managed to win the series 3-1.
Here's a look at some of the reactions after India's astonishing win over West Indies:
Virat Kohli, India captain and Man of the Series: Turned out to be that way. Because of our clinical performance, we were able to finish the game in a few hours. Wanted to bowl first anyway. Still had to execute our plans. Last both games have been clinical, very professional with ball and bat. Change-room atmosphere is very important, and when you play like that, the energy is always good. Everyone wants to be part of it. Two areas I can think of (on being asked about the world cup plans): third seamer - Khaleel has been outstanding. Rayudu has also performed. God forbid anything happens to Bhuvi or Bumrah, good to have Khaleel who can come in and take wickets. Those two areas were important. To contribute as a captain is an added bonus. Won't happen every time. Awards are by-products of what you do on the field.
Kuldeep Yadav: The wicket did turn a lot. Very difficult to control. You have to hit the perfect areas and not spin too much. A couple of reviews went my way, you just need to bowl in the right areas on this kind of wicket. The game in Vizag was very important to me. There was a lot of dew and I managed to pick up three wickets there. That was very crucial for me.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: It is a good experience. I was rested for the first 2 ODIs so I had enough time to go back to NCA. I was trying to polish some balls such as knuckleballs and Yorkers. Yes, everything is going according to the plan. Rayudu has done well at number 4. We have two tours remaining of Australia and New Zealand before the World Cup. Hopefully, we will do well in those two series and we will be confident going into the World Cup.
Ravi Shastri, Team India Coach: We are back on track. I thought we were below par in the field in the second and third ODI. We could have done much better. Sometimes you need a wake-up call and we were at our best in the last 2 ODIs. This Windies team is a promising unit. They have some exceptional players who with exposure, I am sure will test some of the big sides. I am pretty happy with Rayudu. It is never easy to make a comeback in the team after a couple of years. Even though you have to express yourself, you hold back because that is understandable. He has handled the pressure really well and batted really well in the last match. His last fifty in the last ODI was very good. The left-arm fast bowlers can be very handy. Khaleel is raw, he doesn't have the experience but he has the variations and has the aggression too. Once he adds to his speed, he will be more than effective.
Jason Holder, West Indies captain: Not the finish we were looking for. Lacked consistency in the last couple of games. Didn't bat well. Credit to the guys, admirable performance against India in India. Thought it would've been a good pitch. Their bowlers put the ball in the right areas. A lot of our dismissals were poor shots, wasn't about the pitch. Needed to show more application. Happy with the youngsters. Hetmyer, Hope were bright spots. Even Oshane Thomas here, he showed he's got something.
Ravindra Jadeja, Man of the Match: Enjoying my game at the moment. Whenever I come on the field, try and give my best. Try and take my opportunity with both hands. In that case, we weren't sure if the ball pitched down the leg or on the line, that was the doubt in the mind (his successful review).
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