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Windies out as India claim 125-run CWC win

Jun 27th, 2019
Jun 27th, 2019

India moved to the brink of sealing their place in the World Cup semi-finals by ending the West Indies' lingering hopes of reaching the knockout stages at Old Trafford.

Virat Kohli's fourth successive half-century underpinned a total of 7-268 with Hardik Pandya and Mahendra Singh Dhoni injecting some late impetus as 81 runs were taken from the final nine overs.

That proved to be more than enough as they claimed a 125-run win, with the Windies succumbing to 143 all out after 34.2 overs.

Jason Holder and Kemar Roach had shared five wickets but the Windies batsmen were found wanting, only three of their top eight reaching double figures, with Mohammed Shami the pick of India's bowlers with 4-16.

The Windies join Afghanistan and South Africa with nothing but pride to play for in their remaining two fixtures while India head into Sunday's clash against England with their unbeaten record in tact.

They got off to a false start after Kohli decided to bat first, Rohit Sharma seemingly beaten between bat and pad by one that jagged back in from Roach, only for Ultraedge to detect a faint noise following a Windies review.

The original not-out decision was controversially overturned, bringing Kohli to the crease.

The India captain got off to a punchy start but momentum was stymied by Windies counterpart Holder, who dismissed KL Rahul for 48.

Kohli quickly brought up a 55-ball fifty, but Roach's return to the attack saw Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav edge behind.

Roach and Holder were rewarded for probing lines and lengths as they combined for figures of 5-69 - the latter claiming the key wicket of Kohli for 72.

Dhoni had been given a reprieve on eight when wicketkeeper Shai Hope juggled a ball and twice missed the stumping. It was a costly error with Dhoni and Pandya put on a useful 70-run stand in the closing stages.

Cottrell snared Pandya for 46 from 38 balls but Dhoni finished on 56 off 61 after clubbing two sixes and a four in Thomas' final over.

It was a testing total and one the Windies never got close to. Fresh from his hat-trick against Afghanistan, Shami delivered a blistering new-ball spell to account for Chris Gayle and Hope.

Gayle laboured to six off 19 balls while Hope was cleaned up through the gate. A 10-over score of 2-29 was a tournament low for the first powerplay and matters barely improved as they haemorrhaged wickets.

Brathwaite was sixth man out, caught behind for one off Jasprit Bumrah, who trapped Allen in front immediately afterwards. There was to be no hat-trick but Shami wrapped up the win soon after.


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