PORT OF SPAIN (Trinidad), May 26: Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif scored half-centuries in a modest India total of 217 for seven in the fourth One-day International against West Indies on Friday.
Dwayne Bravo, with three for 32 from five overs, was the most successful of the West Indies' seam attack who bowled a consistent line and length outside off stump and varied their pace intelligently.
The visitors slumped to 47 for three in the 16th over before Yuvraj and Kaif steadied the innings.
Yuvraj scored 52 off 78 balls with five fours while Kaif's 63 came off 83 deliveries and also featured five fours.
Left-arm pace bowler Ian Bradshaw removed the dangerous Virender Sehwag for 11, caught in the covers by Chris Gayle who leaped high to intercept the firmly driven ball in the fourth over.
Suresh Raina was out for seven after cutting a Bradshaw delivery and being well held at first slip by Ramnaresh Sarwan, who lunged smartly to his right to complete the head-high catch.
India were on the verge of collapse when Rahul Dravid tried to steer a delivery from fast bowler Corey Collymore to third manand instead sent a low edge to the right of second slip, where Sarwan dived to take the catch.
Yuvraj and Kaif rebuilt the innings patiently until they were separated in the 32nd over when Yuvraj prodded uncertainly at an away-swinger from fast bowler Fidel Edwards and edged another low catch, which wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh dived to his left to secure.
At 127 for four and with their most experienced batsmen dismissed, India again looked vulnerable.
But Kaif, who survived a caught-and-bowled chance from off spinner Marlon Samuels when he was 51 with the total 166 for four, and Mahendra Dhoni grafted India out of trouble in a stand that reached 61 before Bravo bowled Kaif with a slow yorker.
Bravo struck twice in his next over when he had Irfan Pathan, who scored eight, caught by Collymore at short fine leg with another slower ball before bowling Ajit Agarkar for a duck.
Dhoni was unbeaten on 46.
Edwards was the most economical of the West Indian bowlers. He gave away only 19 runs in eight hostile overs.
Scoreboard
INDIA:
V. Sehwag c Gayle b Bradshaw 11
R. Dravid c Sarwan b Collymore 15
S.K. Raina c Sarwan b Bradshaw 7
Yuvraj Singh c Baugh b Edwards 52
Mohammad Kaif b Bravo 62
M.S. Dhoni not out 46
Irfan Pathan c Collymore b Bravo 8
A.B. Agarkar b Bravo 0
R.R. Powar not out 0
EXTRAS (LB-5, W-10, NB-1) 16
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 217
FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-28, 3-47, 4-127, 5-188, 6-206, 7-206.
DID NOT BAT: Harbhajan Singh, S. Sreesanth.
BOWLING: Edwards 8-1-19-1 (1w); Bradshaw 10-0-41-2 (1nb, 4w); Collymore 9-2-49-1 (3w); Bravo 5-0-32-3 (1w); Gayle 6-0-28-0; Samuels 10-1-37-0; Smith 2-0-6-0 (1w).
WEST INDIES: C.H. Gayle, W.W. Hinds, R.R. Sarwan, B.C. Lara, M.N. Samuels, D.J.J. Bravo, D.R. Smith, C.S. Baugh, I.D.R. Bradshaw, F.H. Edwards, C.D. Collymore.—Reuters































