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Sports / Cricket

Simmons, Sammy guide Windies to thrilling victory

Published: 25 Nov 2013 - 11:10 am | Last Updated: 28 Jan 2022 - 06:46 pm

NEW DELHI: Lendl Simmons and Darren Sammy clinched a thrilling two-wicket win for West Indies against India in the second ODI and levelled the three-match series 1-1 at VDCA stadium in Visakhapatnam yesterday.
After being reduced to 188/5 in chase of 289 at one stage, West Indies, riding on brilliant half centuries from Simmons and Sammy, snatched victory from the hosts.
While Simmons scored 62 off 74 balls, Sammy stayed unbeaten at 63.
Kieran Powell and Darren Bravo also chipped in with 59 and 50 respectively that rescued the visitors from early wickets. Both batsmen shared 100-run stand for the third wicket.
However, R Ashwin broke the dangerous looking partnership by getting Bravo caught behind in the 23rd over at the score of 123.
Three overs later, Ashwin struck again to dismiss Powell after his fighting knock, reducing West Indies to 147/4.
Earlier, Mohit Sharma scalped Marlon Samules while Bhuvneshwar Kumar sent back Johnson Charles (12) to give India a good start after the hosts posted 288/7.
Kumar took a stunning return catch to end Charles’ challenge in the third over. Sharma 
then got Samuels caught behind to reduce the visitors 
to 23/2.
Virat Kohli missed out on a hundred by just one run before skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s fiery knock propelled India to a challenging total.
Electing to bowl, unsure of how the wicket would behave after two days of incessant rains, the West Indies kept India under pressure for most of the time but the hosts scored 62 runs off the last five overs to steal the thunder from the Caribbeans.
Kohli showed calmness to soothe the nerves but only to fall victim to a rash pull as India were in danger after losing two wickets for 15 runs in the batting power-play.
But once again captain cool Dhoni stood to the task with an unbeaten 51, his 50th ODI half-century, to give India a decent total to defend.
Dhoni slammed three sixes and four boundaries in his 40-ball knock in an entertaining 47-run seventh wicket partnership with R Ashwin.
Earlier, Sharma had a rare off day at his mother’s home 
town when he was taken at second slip to bring an end to a 
dream run, during which he scored 
one double ton, two 100s and 
an equal number of 
half-centuries in his last five outings. AGENCIES