Windies end losing run, thrash India by 103 runs

Antigua: Leg-spinner Anthony Martin produced a career-best four-wicket haul as a resolute West Indies finally managed to end its losing streak against India by notching up a massive 103-run win in the fourth one-dayer of the ongoing five-match series.

Anthony Martin produced a career-best four-wicket haul as a resolute West Indies finally managed to end its losing streak against India by notching up a massive 103-run win in the fourth one-dayer. © AFP

Down 0-3 in the series going into the match, the West Indies' bowlers produced a clinical performance after Kieron Pollard
and Lendl Simmons laid the foundation with fluent fifties to get their first win.
Sent into bat after Suresh Raina won the toss, Pollard top-scored with a typically aggressive 70 off 72 balls while opener Simmons notched up a fluent 67 off 78 deliveries, to lift the hosts to 249 for eight, their highest total of the series, after the Indian bowlers had them in a spot of bother at 89 for four.
In reply, India crumbled in the face of some disciplined work from the host bowlers, especially Martin (4/36) and Andre Russell (3/16), who shared seven wickets between them to bundle out the visitors for 146 in 39 overs.
The victory not only broke a sequence of three successive defeats but also restored some pride for the hosts.
India made three changes to the squad bringing in Ravichandran Ashwin, Manoj Tiwary and Ishant Sharma.
Tiwary, playing in place of Shikhar Dhawan, failed to capitalise on the opportunity, edging Darren Sammy to Carlton Baugh, but Parthiv Patel picked up a few useful boundaries to set it up for India.
However, after getting his eye in, Patel drove one uppishly for Sammy to complete a fine left-handed catch off his own bowling.
So was the case with Virat Kohli (22 off 33 balls), who got out, courtesy a smart piece of work by Baugh off the bowling of leg-spinner Martin yesterday.
As far as Subramaniam Badrinath was concerned, he looked out of sorts from the word go and the West Indian bowlers, especially Russell, troubled him with the short stuff, before the all-rounder had the Chennai batsman caught behind.
Though the top order was back in the pavilion with not much on the board, there was still hope for India as long as the in-form Rohit Sharma and skipper Suresh Raina were at the crease.
But Martin had other ideas as he lured Raina with a fuller length delivery which the batsman hit straight to Pollard at midwicket.
Yusuf Pathan, who has the reputation of throwing away his wicket, lived upto the billing by playing an unnecessary shot against Simmons that could not clear long off.
When Sharma top-edged a Martin delivery to give Darren Bravo a simple catch in the circle, it was as good as over for India.
Russell added to his kitty by dismissing Kumar who gave a simple catch to Sammy.
Ashwin crossed the double figures but the rest of the batting folded up all too easily for the hosts to earn a consolation win.

Kieron Pollard (70 off 72-ball) notched up his personal best against a Test-playing nation. © AFP

Earlier, despite some early setbacks, Simmons looked in total command at the other end, finding the fence with ease. After his dismissal, Pollard took over and in the company of Carlton Baugh, did the repair work with a solid half-century partnership at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
But just when the hosts threatened to pile up a huge score, Pollard went for an expansive shot against Ravichandran Ashwin that found Ishant at long-off.
The lanky Ishant gave India a perfect start, removing Danza Hyatt as early as in the second over of the match.
Kumar then had the experienced Ramnaresh Sarwan caught at point by Sharma.
Simmons rebuilt the innings, and in the company of Darren Bravo, put together a fifty partnership for the third wicket, but Mishra cut short what seemed like a flourishing partnership, by having Bravo caught at deep midwicket in the 16th over.
The leg-spinner, who has been having a good series, struck again eight overs later when he trapped Marlon Samuels in front of the wicket to leave the hosts reeling at 89 for four.
West Indies were dealt a body blow when Simmons, who looked in good touch during his stay at the crease, was run out by an agile Tiwary.
But before falling victim to Tiwary's acrobatic act, Simmons played some effective shots to prop up his team.
There was a pull over backward point and a heave over wide long-on for another boundary off Ishant.
After a late cut against Pathan, Simmons came into his own, unleashing three sixes, two off Mishra and one against Ishant, before getting out.
Pollard's first boundary was a streaky one over point but thereafter he showed his power in no uncertain terms by producing some stunning shots.
The burly Trinidadian took his time to settle but cut loose by hitting Mishra down the ground and then flicked Kumar over midwicket fence in the next over.
Opting for the batting powerplay in the 44th over, Pollard smacked Mishra over midwicket and a delivery later, glanced him past fine-leg for a four.
Russell, having hit a sparkling 92 in the last match, was in his stride straightaway, hitting Ashwin back over his head for a four.
In the next over, he collected a four and a six off Mishra.
But Kumar came back to take the wickets of Carlton Baugh (39 off 57) and Russell off successive deliveries.
PTI