Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Well that is it from Kochi. The first ODI is done and dusted with India winning by four wickets, thanks to the performances of India's spinners, along with the twin innings from Rohit and Virat. West Indies will need to reflect on how they applied themselves with the bat, and where their bowlers could have tightened up their disciplines. Hope you enjoyed the match as much as we did. Till then, on behalf of Alagappan Muthu and the scorers, this is Rohan Sharma bidding you a good night (or morning) wherever you are!.

Virat Kohli, Man of the Match: When we fielded I sorted out how to play, needed to play with a straight bat. Just wanted to play as straight and late as I can close to the body. Started timing it well so it gave me confidence and kept me going from there. The ball might keep low at any point of time so need to keep a straight bat. Me and Rohit were conscious about playing as straight as we can. The idea was to just play straight and keep rotating the strike. Usually Shikhar and Rohit were giving us a good start, but Shikhar went out early. I just watch the ball and react. Later on we switches gears and it was nice to have to bat with him (Rohit). Last year we played here against England and the crowd was fantastic. It's always nice to have a stadium so full of people and loud like this. It helps to pep you up. It's very different, I mean coming to November end, imagine what it must be like in June or May? We were out of steam and everyone was struggling. It was different conditions and we had to battle it out.

MS Dhoni, India captain: I think it was a fantastic performance. Could have been even better if one of the batsmen scored a 100. I think the spinners did the job for us. We didn't start very well, with the ball coming on nicely. There was a bit of variable bounce which assisted our fast bowlers. Overall I think the spinners did the job and keep the pressure on. It was not easy for the opposition to rotate the strike, so they had to go for the big strokes. I thought it was a wicket where the spinners can do the job, so I thought let's start with Raina. He bowls slightly flattish and can be of good effect with the variable bounce. The first wicket he got didn't bounce much. Ashwin we had a few overs, plus Jadeja, so it was hard for the right handers to hit Jadeja, with the lower order batsmen batting left-handed. I think they (Dhawan, Rohit, Virat) have been batting really well. Again Virat was brilliant. I thought our bowlers did well and the batsmen negotiated the new ball really well. There was not many runs to be scored, but still they batted really well, especially of Narine who was spinning it both ways. Crowd has been fantastic, and keeping in mind of the humidity, it takes the toll on the body when you have to play three games. The crowd came out in good numbers, so even if it was hot for us, it was even worse for them. It takes a lot of toil so let's have a good rest now.

Dwayne Bravo, West Indies captain: We fell short of our batting target. We felt we were below par. We have to take responsibility for this. We didn't adjust to the style of play. It's not a 300 or 290 wicket, if you can get to 250 it could have been a bit different. Rampaul and Holder bowled very well so that is good signs for us going into the next game. We got out at the wrong time, apart from Samuels and Bravo who had two balls beyond their control. I think it's a very small ground so our batters are aggressive by nature, so when the field is spread or the spinners come on, we don't have the ability to rotate the strike. Batting first and posting a poor total is not good enough.

We will be back for the match presentation in just a little while.

Rohit Sharma, India batsman: It wasn't an easy wicket to bat on. It was a two-paced wicket. It was good to get that partnership, and me and Virat managed to do well. It was keeping low and just climbing a little bit. Once we got through that initial phase we were able to put on a big partnership. As you must have seen it was just not easy to play your strokes, so it was important to take some time out and see what is happening and what the wicket looks like. I played a bad shot, I must accept that, but that shot was really on as I was batting well. I was thinking if Rampaul was bowling back of length, then I must go through with that shot, even when it skidded to me. The spinners chipped in with wickets at the right time. We put pressure and fielded well to make the batsmen play shots, even if the wicket did not allow it. Even the fast bowlers bowled well initially.

And with that streaky shot and let-off by the keeper, India win the first of this three-ODI match series by six wickets. Dhoni and Yuvraj in vintage fashion seal the contest, but it was the spinners who prospered the most on this track. Innings from Rohit and Kohli seemed to take all the sting out of the pitch, after it was made to look like a real minefield, especially with the number of deliveries that stayed low and accounted for West Indian wickets. Kohli was able to knock off the remaining 81 required to go level with Viv Richards as the fastest to 5000 ODI career runs, while Rohit just missed out on what would have been a fourth international ton on the trot.

35.2
4
DJ Bravo to Yuvraj Singh, FOUR, length ball outside off and Yuvraj has a flash, in hopes of finding the gap on the off side, but instead gets a thick outside edge which travels behind to the keeper. Charles dives valiantly to the right, but ends up spilling the catch, with the ball travelling behind to the third man boundary for four. And with that, the match is over.
35.1
1
DJ Bravo to Dhoni, 1 run, full and on the pads as Dhoni just clips this to square leg for one

Dwayne Bravo now into the attack in place of Jason Holder

END OF OVER:
35 | (maiden) | IND: 207/4 (5 runs required from 15 overs, RR: 5.91, RRR: 0.33)

  • Yuvraj Singh12 (28b)
  • MS Dhoni12 (6b)
  • Sunil Narine10-1-57-1
  • Jason Holder8-0-48-2
34.6
0
Narine to Yuvraj Singh, no run, turns it wildly away from the bat as Yuvi goes forward searching for the ball and misses again.
34.5
0
Narine to Yuvraj Singh, no run, inside edge saves him as this time he brings the ball into the batsman.
34.4
0
Narine to Yuvraj Singh, no run, held this one back just a touch, but there are enough revs on the ball to defeat Yuvi's tentative poke
34.3
0
Narine to Yuvraj Singh, no run, play and miss again as he tosses it up on off stump and turns it away sharply
34.2
0
Narine to Yuvraj Singh, no run, this time he darts the ball right across the left-hander as he strides forward to block and misses it
34.1
0
Narine to Yuvraj Singh, no run, ample turn into the batsman there and Yuvi has not picked that up at all. He was looking to cut but the ball was the one cutting him in half and lodging in his pad

END OF OVER:
34 | 9 Runs | IND: 207/4 (5 runs required from 16 overs, RR: 6.08, RRR: 0.31)

  • MS Dhoni12 (6b)
  • Yuvraj Singh12 (22b)
  • Jason Holder8-0-48-2
  • Sunil Narine9-0-57-1
33.6
0
Holder to Dhoni, no run, length ball on middle and off as Dhoni covers the line and blocks towards mid-off
33.5
4
Holder to Dhoni, FOUR, length ball on off stump and he thumps it straight down the ground for a one-bounce four. MSD's power on prime display there
33.4
4
Holder to Dhoni, FOUR, walks at the bowler and employs an purely agricultural slog, but Ravi Rampaul has just gifted the Indian captain with another boundary. He was just ambling around from his pace at deep fine leg and was looking to stop the ball with his boot, but it trickles through
33.3
0
Holder to Dhoni, no run, oh, is he out?! Umpire Kulkarni is going to have a chat with Rod Tucker and it is going to be sent upstairs. Delicious away swinger from Holder which Dhoni prods at, considering it was full length. There was a thick edge, but it looks like it has bounced in front of the keeper. The umpires had asked WI if they wanted to withdraw the appeal, but it seems they weren't entirely sure so they wanted confirmation themselves

deep square leg, deep third man in place

33.2
1
Holder to Yuvraj Singh, 1 run, and looks like he's had enough of this short-pitched attack that just isn't rising high enough to trouble him. Stays solidly balanced in his crease as he pulls this straight to the man at deep midwicket
33.1
0
Holder to Yuvraj Singh, no run, back of a length just outside off stump as he stays back and defends

Gully in place

END OF OVER:
33 | 5 Runs 1 Wkt | IND: 198/4 (14 runs required from 17 overs, RR: 6.00, RRR: 0.82)

  • MS Dhoni4 (2b)
  • Yuvraj Singh11 (20b)
  • Sunil Narine9-0-57-1
  • Jason Holder7-0-39-2

vasi: "Yuvi, Jaddu and Raina are the 3 weak links in our batting!!! Kohli , Rohit and Dhawan are hiding them!!!"

32.6
0
Narine to Dhoni, no run, stays back to nudge the length ball turning into him just in front of square to end the over
32.5
4
Narine to Dhoni, FOUR, pushed through at 92 kph as Dhoni reads the off spinner and flicks it to the left of leg slip and fine enough to trickle to the fine leg boundarly

Looks like MSD has to finish things off. Four around the bat. Two slips and a leg slip with a short mid-on and short midwicket

32.4
W
Narine to Raina, OUT, oh, it was on the cards and Narine picks up his man. Poor shot selection from the batsman as he raced down the pitch to buck the pressure off his shoulders. Narine had slipped in the off spinner that time and the ball turns to take the outside edge and carries safely to the hands of point

SK Raina c Holder b Narine 0 (6m 5b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

32.3
0
Narine to Raina, no run, goes back to negotiate a fullish length ball, and this one which was pushed through nearly broke through his defences. But he keeps it out

Alok Rathi: "Dhoni would now justify Raina's place in the team as an allrounder? I am a fan of Dhoni, but his persistence with Raina is baffling!! You have Yuvraj in the team who any day is a better bowler and batsmen than Raina. Raina has barely played any match winning innings, and is keeping the likes of Rahane or Raydu or for that matter even Binny on the sidelines who would probably fare much better as an extra batsmen coming in at 6."

32.2
0
Narine to Raina, no run, off spinner to kick things off as Raina moves back and across and nudges it towards midwicket

slip and leg slip for Raina

32.1
1
Narine to Yuvraj Singh, 1 run, sees it flighted on off stump and Yuvraj hits it with the turn to long-off to pick up a single

END OF OVER:
32 | 7 Runs 1 Wkt | IND: 193/3 (19 runs required from 18 overs, RR: 6.03, RRR: 1.05)

  • Suresh Raina0 (2b)
  • Yuvraj Singh10 (19b)
  • Jason Holder7-0-39-2
  • Sunil Narine8-0-52-0
31.6
0
Holder to Raina, no run, just short of a good length as Raina waiting for chin music is stuck on the back foot. The ball raps him on the pads as he looked to adjust and guide the ball to third man, but it was too high

slip and short point now

31.5
0
Holder to Raina, no run, back of a length on off stump as Raina gets back and defends with a straight bat

gully and a short-square leg in place as Holder continues around the wicket

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  • Spinners set up easy win for India

    Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continued their prolific runs to set up India's chase with effortless half-centuries after India's spinners, led by Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina, had taken eight wickets to bowl West Indies out for a below-par total in Koc

India 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st17S DhawanRG Sharma
2nd133RG SharmaV Kohli
3rd42Yuvraj SinghV Kohli
4th2Yuvraj SinghSK Raina
5th18MS DhoniYuvraj Singh