Yuvraj powers India to victory against West Indies(Round up)

KINGSTON - Yuvraj Singh smashed one of his typically dazzling centuries to power India to a 20-run win over West Indies in a high-scoring thriller in the first of the four One-day International cricket matches at Sabina Park here Friday.

Yuvraj’s 102-ball 131 was laced with seven sixes and 10 fours and his 135-run third-wicket stand with Dinesh Karthik (67, 77b, 1×6, 6×4) paved the way for India to reach a highly defendable 339 for six from their 50 overs. India’s was the second highest ODI total at Sabina Park.

Yuvraj and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (41, 46 balls, 1×6, 1×4) consolidated the innings in the middle overs with an 86-run fourth-wicket stand and in the rear, Yusuf Pathan chipped in with 40 not out (38b, 2×6, 2×4) and Harbhajan Singh 21 not out (13b, 2×6).

West Indies, however, came close to toppling India with skipper Chris Gayle (37, 33b, 1×6, 5×4)) and fellow-opener Runako Morton (42, 51b, 1×6, 4×4) smashing 65 runs inside the first power play. Ramnaresh Sarwan (45, 42b, 3×6, 1×4) and an aggressive Shivnarine Chanderpaul (63, 59b, 3×6, 3×4) kept West Indies in the hunt, but the lower order batsmen could not sustain the momentum and they were eventually bowled out for 319 with 11 balls to spare.

The home team needed 25 to win off the last three overs when Rudra Pratap Singh bowled Sulieman Benn for seven, the eighth wicket to fall.

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin kept the hopes alive, hitting 29 off 26 balls, before he was the last man to be dismissed, caught by Harbhajan Singh off Ashish Nehra.

Left-arm pacer Nehra, who returned to the team after four years, finished with figures of three for 49. Off-spinner Yusuf also claimed three wickets.

Dhoni was happy to start on a winning note after the disappointing World Twenty20 campaign.

“The (team) morale has always been there but it’s always good to win and it gets the disappointment out of the system,” said Dhoni.

“(Yuvraj Singh) took the time to get himself set and as we know, when he gets set he can bat like that. It was a brilliant innings,” he said.

The start, however, was not encouraging for India after skipper Dhoni decided to take first strike. Both Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma succumbed to short-pitched deliveries, trying ambitious shots. Gautam top-edged a hook off Jerome Taylor and Sharma perished failing to control a pull off David Bernard. India were 32 for two in the eight overs.

Karthik dropped anchor and Yuvraj, too, was circumspect. The two quietly rotated the strike and once the spin was introduced, they piled on the pressure on the bowlers. Soon Yuvraj, who had been in fine touch in the World Twenty20, overtook Karthik and the two hit 70 runs in seven overs when Benn and Gayle bowled spin in tandem.

Karthik hit an amazing six, paddle-scooping Bernard, to reach his highest score in the ODIs but fell trying to repeat the stroke once too often.

Yuvraj soon got into the top gear and there was no stopping him as he hit both Taylor and Gayle for two sixes each.

He then treated Lionel Baker in a similar fashion, hitting the medium-pacer for two fours and a six to reach 98 and a quick single off Taylor saw him to his 12th ODI century. He cut loose and hit Taylor for two fours and a six in the same over.

The Indians shifted gears in the batting power play and the five overs fetched 62 runs. Yuvraj and Dhoni (41) were on the rampage, 37 coming off Taylor’s two overs.

Just when the left-hander looked like putting the issue beyond the West Indies, piling up a huge total, Dwayne Bravo returned to dismiss Yuvraj and next man Ravindra Jadeja off successive balls. Yuvraj’s spectacular innings came to an end when he was caught brilliantly down the legside by Denesh Ramdin diving to his right.

That set the Indians back as Dhoni was still struggling to connect his big shots and Yusuf batted cautiously till the last five overs. Dhoni ran himself out trying to steal a single.

Pathan hit the first ball of the last over from Bravo for a six and Harbhajan clouted the last one into the stands to provide late flourish.