West Indies pacer Jerome Taylor (left) is hugged by captain Brian Lara (second right) while teammate Denesh Ramdin joins the celebration at the fall of a wicket during yesterday's fifth and final ODI at Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago. Taylor grabbed three wickets in the West Indies' 19-run victory. West Indies won the series 4-1. - DELLMAR
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
FAST BOWLER Jerome Taylor produced a telling three-wicket burst at a vital stage to spur West Indies to a fourth successive victory over India in the fifth and final Digicel one-day international (ODI) at Queen's Park Oval yesterday.
With India well on course at 170 for four in the 32nd over in chase of 256, Taylor came back for a second spell to claim three wickets for eight runs in four overs as India were dismissed for 236 in 48 overs to give West Indies victory by 19 runs.
Left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed, playing in his first match of the series, also assisted in the victory by grabbing three wickets in the 47th over after an eight-wicket stand of 41 between Harbhajan Singh and Ajit Agarkar had carried India to within 25 runs of victory with 21 balls remaining.
The victory confirmed the hosts as 4-1 series winners and provided West Indies captain Brian Lara with an emotional send-off in what is expected to be his final ODI at the ground.
"I am sure this is my last (ODI) in Trinidad and Tobago and I really appreciate the support," Lara said after the game.
Taylor, who conceded 40 runs in his first six overs, claimed the important wicket of Virender Sehwag for 95 in his final over, but had started West Indies' fightback with the scalps of Mohammed Kaif and Suresh Raina.
Sehwag batted impressively to strike 10 fours and a six off 103 balls before he was deceived by a slower ball and gave a catch to extra-cover that was smartly held over his head by Chris Gayle.
Kaif also fell to catch by Gayle in an almost identical position and Taylor brought the match in the balance by removing Suresh Raina with a catch by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.
Sehwag's counter-attack came after Wavell Hinds, surprisingly asked to open the bowling, put India under early pressure with the wickets of opener Robin Uthappa and Mahendra Dhoni.
Uthappa, playing in his first match of the series, edged an outswinger to the keeper, while Dhoni, promoted to No. 3, dragged a ball into his stumps.
At 189 for seven, West Indies seemed favoured to win, but Agarkar (21) and Harbhajan (26) led a revival before Harbhajan was brilliantly caught low down at long-off by substitute Ian Bradshaw off Mohammed.
Mohammed then had Munaf Patel caught at deep mid-wicket and the match ended when Dwayne Smith caught Agarkar as he attempted to clear the mid-wicket boundary.
Taylor finished with three for 48 off 10 overs and Mohammed ended with three for 39 runs off nine overs.
West Indies were without fast bowler Corey Collymore, who twisted his ankle in the third over of the innings.
RICH FORM
Earlier, all-rounder Dwayne Bravo sustained his rich form with a quickfire unbeaten half-century that guided West Indies to 255 for six off 50 overs.
Bravo's enterprising undefeated 62 off 44 balls had followed contrasting half-centuries from Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan and it came after India had made an effort to restrict West Indies.
Bravo, who struck four boundaries, and Hinds, who made 32 off 34 balls, provided impetus in the closing stages of the innings with a fifth wicket stand of 78 in 10.2 overs.
Opener Gayle smacked a boundary-studded 51 off 61 balls that that included 10 fours, while Sarwan made a patient 52 off 97 balls that contained just one boundary.
Captain Lara, who was given a rousing ovation, contributed 36 before he was run out.
Lara had stumbled in attempting a tight second run and just failed to make his ground after Agarkar, running in from deep mid-wicket, released the ball to wicket-keeper Dhoni.
WEST INDIES INNINGS:
C. Gayle b Sehwag 51
S. Chattergoon b Agarkar 0
R. Sarwan b Sreesanth 52
B. Lara run out 36
D. Bravo not out 62
W. Hinds c Sehwag b Agarkar 32
D. Smith b Patel 1
+D. Ramdin not out 1
Extras (b1, lb3, w13, nb3) 20
TOTAL (6 wkts - 50 overs) 255
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-90, 3-137, 4-165, 5-243, 6-251.
Did not bat: D. Mohammed, J. Taylor, C. Collymore.
Bowling: Sreesanth 10-0-62-1 (w2), Agarkar 10-1-44-2 (w4), Patel 10-0-64-1 (w2, nb3), Harbhajan Singh 10-0-52-0 (w1), Sehwag 10-0-29-1 (w4).
INDIA INNINGS:
R. Uthappa c wkp Ramdin b Hinds 0
V. Sehwag c Gayle b Taylor 95
+M. Dhoni b Hinds 14
R. Dravid run out 18
Yuvraj Singh b Mohammed 26
M. Kaif c Gayle b Taylor 12
S. Raina c wkp Ramdin b Taylor 2
A. Agarkar c Smith b Gayle 21
Harbhajan Singh c sub (Bradshaw) b Mohammed 26
M. Patel c Chattergoon b Mohammed 0
S. Sreesanth not out 2
Extras (lb4, w14, nb2) 20
TOTAL (all out - 48 overs) 236
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-26, 3-73, 4-130, 5-170, 6-180,
7-189, 8-230, 9-231, 10-248.
Bowling: Hinds 5-0-28-2 (w2), Taylor 10-0-48-3 (w4, nb2), Mohammed 9-1-39-3 (w3), Smith 5-0-28-0, Bravo 9-0-45-0 (w3), Gayle 10-0-44-1 (w2).
Toss: India.
Result: West Indies won by 19 runs to take series 4-1.
Man-of-the-Match: Dwayne Bravo.
Man-of-the-Series: Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Umpires: Steve Bucknor, Simon Taufel. TV replays: Billy Doctrove.
Match referee: Chris Broad.
