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| November 7, 2002 | Thursday | Ramazan 1,1423 |
Despite crowd trouble West Indies snatch dramatic last-ball win
JAMSHEDPUR (India), Nov 6: Ramnaresh Sarwan smashed a last-ball four to guide the West Indies to a thrilling four-wicket victory over India in the first One-day International marred by crowd trouble here Wednesday.
The game was interrupted twice by missile-throwing spectators before the West Indies surpassed India’s 283-6 in fading light for a 1-0 lead in the seven-match series.
The West Indies needed three to win off the last delivery and found the right man in Sarwan, who kept his cool in mounting tension to smash Ajit Agarkar through the covers for the winning boundary.
The 22-year-old Guyanese, who remained unbeaten with a career-best 83, built on a brilliant 93 by opener Wavell Hinds.
The West Indies were 271-4 in the 47th over when unruly crowd behaviour forced the players off the field, requiring the presence of South African match referee Mike Proctor on the field.
When play resumed after a short break, the West Indies lost Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the penultimate over and Ridley Jacobs in the last over before Man-of-the-Match Sarwan came up with the winning runs.
Earlier, India’s total owed much of its substance to Agarkar, who came in to bat as a pinch-hitter and went on to smash a career-best 95 off 101 balls with the help of two sixes and 11 fours.
India were struggling at 49-2 after electing to bat on a slow pitch at the Keenan Stadium before Agarkar put on 98 for the third wicket with Vangipurappu Laxman (47) and 75 for the next with Rahul Dravid (46 not out).
Hinds matched Agarkar’s effort with his rich stroke-play as he added 86 for the second wicket with Marlon Samuels (51) and 87 for the next with Sarwan.
Hinds never curbed his strokes, hitting Nehra for three successive fours and hoisting leg-spinner Anil Kumble over long-on and long-off for two sixes.
Samuels also played elegant shots during his sixth half-century before he became leg-spinner Anil Kumble’s 300th one-day victim.
Kumble remains the third highest wicket-taker in the shorter version of the game behind Pakistanis Wasim Akram (479) and Waqar Younis (395).
Sarwan then completed the job with his 89-ball knock, cracking three sixes and six fours.
India had to rely on Agarkar to overcome a shaky start as the pinch-hitter set the stage for a late onslaught with his aggressive knock.
The hosts plundered 69 in the last 10 overs, with Mohammad Kaif scoring an 18-ball 31 not out.
Agarkar, whose previous best was an unbeaten 67 against Zimbabwe at home two years ago, dominated the rival attack during his 101-ball knock.
Scoreboard
INDIA:
V. Sehwag c and b Drakes 28
S.C. Ganguly b Collins 16
A.B. Agarkar c Gayle b Collins 95
V.V.S. Laxman b Nagamootoo 47
R.S. Dravid not out 46
Yuvraj Singh c Gayle b Hooper 4
J.P. Yadav b Dillon 0
Mohammad Kaif not out 31
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-6, W-5, NB-1) 16
TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 283
FALL OF WKTS: 1-43, 2-49, 3-147, 4-222, 5-235, 6-236.
DID NOT BAT: Harbhajan Singh, A.R. Kumble, A. Nehra.
BOWLING: Dillon 10-0-64-1 (2w); Collins 10-1-40-2; Drakes 10-1-62-1 (1w); Hooper 10-2-46-1 (2w); Nagamootoo 8-1-45-1 (1nb); Gayle 2-0-16-0.
WEST INDIES:
W.W. Hinds c Dravid b Nehra 93
C.H. Gayle c Yadav b Agarkar 7
M.N. Samuels b Kumble 51
R.R. Sarwan not out 83
C.L. Hooper c Yadav b Sehwag 4
S. Chanderpaul c Ganguly b Nehra 23
R.D. Jacobs run out 0
M.V. Nagamootoo not out 1
EXTRAS (B-2, LB-5, W-16) 23
TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 285
FALL OF WKTS: 1-28, 2-114, 3-201, 4-206, 5-277, 6-279.
DID NOT BAT: V.C. Drakes, M. Dillon, P.T. Collins.
BOWLING: Nehra 9-1-50-2 (2w); Agarkar 9-1-42-1 (8w); Yadav 4-0-22-0; Harbhajan Singh 9-0-68-0 (6w); Kumble 7-0-48-1; Sehwag 10-0-37-1; Yuvraj Singh 2-0-11-0.
RESULT: West Indies won by four wickets.
UMPIRES: E.A.R. de Silva (Sri Lanka) and A.V. Jayaprakash (India).
TV UMPIRE: I. Sivaram (India).
MATCH REFEREE: M.J. Procter (South Africa).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Ramnaresh Sarwan.
NEXT MATCH: Nagpur, Saturday.—AFP/Reuters
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