Twitter Reactions: Kuldeep, Jadeja, Kishan lift India 1-0 up

Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja spun a web around West Indies before Ishan Kishan’s 46-ball 52 led India to an emphatic five-wicket win in the ODI series opener in Bridgetown, Barbados on July 27. 

As if the shambolic run at the ODI World Cup Qualifiers was not enough, West Indies prolonged the rut with another bizarre performance, as not even the comforts of home and the addition of Shimron Hetmyer could change their fortunes.

They were wrapped up for a meagre 114 in 23 overs, with Yadav and Jadeja scalping seven between them and inducing a collapse that saw the hosts lose seven for 26 in a space of 44 balls. However, before the spinners partied in the Caribbean, the pace trio of debutant Mukesh Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur put the opponent top-order to test on a track on which hitting through the line was not easy. 

Pandya gave India the first success as early as the third over, when Kyle Mayers attempted to take him on but could only hit his back-of-a-length delivery as far as Rohit Sharma at mid-on. No. 3 Alick Athanaze (22 off 18) attempted to steady the ship with a 38-run stand involving Brandon King. 

For his part, the young batter looked firm in the middle, flicking Pandya for a six before piercing the in-field to pick a four on the next ball. However, the alliance was cut short courtesy of a terrific catch from Ravindra Jadeja at backward point, who timed his jump perfectly to send Athanaze packing, giving debutant Mukesh his maiden breakthrough in the format.

West Indies endured a nervy passage of play, with incoming Shai Hope facing a loud lbw shout on the first ball he faced. While he survived, Brandon King was undone immediately after Athanaze’s demise as Shardul Thakur struck his middle stump with a wobble seam delivery that jagged back in. 

Much like Hope, the next-in Hetmyer faced an appeal on the first ball he faced. India looked confident for a caught-behind appeal but ended up burning a review as replays showed the ball was well away from making any contact. The Hope-Hetmyer duo added 43 off 45 in a period of play West Indies looked slightly settled in, but a rude awakening awaited.

Jadeja was expensive to start with, leaking nine and 11 in his first two overs. But it did not take him long to get back to his accurate best. He struck the first time in the 16th over when Hetmyer attempted to scoop him over the keeper’s head, though only to redirect the ball to the stumps. The spinner made further up for the expensive start with a double-wicket 18th over as he got Rovman Powell caught at first slip for four and then had Romario Shepherd gone for a two-ball duck thanks to Virat Kohli’s sensational one-handed grab at the second slip. 

Even before West Indies could have made sense of what transpired, Kuldeep barged in through the opening made by Jadeja’s incisive spell. He rapped Dominic Drakes on the pads with a googly, which the batter reviewed to no avail. Kuldeep got his second in identical fashion, this time Yannic Cariah being at the receiving end with India reviewing the lbw call successfully. Hope dispatched Jadeja for a six over long off in the next over but it only delayed the inevitable as Kuldeep returned in the next over to wrap things up. 

He had Hope dismissed lbw as he attempted a reverse sweep but failed to get any bat on it; another unsuccessful review followed as West Indies lost their top-scorer. Only three balls later, Kuldeep’s googly took Jayden Seales’ edge and settled into Pandya’s hands at leg slip. 

India’s not-so-fluent chase

India’s chase was not as fluent and breezy as one would have expected at the halfway mark, with Gudakesh Motie and Cariah making good use of the grip and turn on offer. Indian captain Rohit Sharma opted not to open while Virat Kohli also did not show up at his usual number, as India commenced the small chase with Kishan and Shubman Gill.  

Kishan flew off the blocks quickly as he whacked an authoritative pull off Drakes in the opening over, before Gill opened his account with a top-edge over the keeper’s head off Seales. West Indies exerted some control thereafter, disallowing the batters to open their arms and it was Seales who drew first blood for his side as he induced an edge from Gill, which King did well to grab at the second slip despite the ball dipping sharply.

In at No. 3, Suryakumar Yadav flicked Drakes for a four before driving Seales through the covers for another boundary to get up and running. Kishan continued his business from the other end, picking two fours off Seales – an easing on-drive past the bowler followed by a boundary through midwicket – to continue the flourishing partnership with his able ally. Even as the Barbados track did not have much for Suryakumar to unfurl his usual pyrotechnics, he sent a Seales short ball sailing over fine leg fence with a trademark ramp in the eighth over.  

However, it turned out to be another uncapitalised knock as Motie trapped Suryakumar lbw, which he unsuccessfully reviewed before walking back for 19. Kishan held his end up but became a contributor to Pandya’s wicket as he slammed one straight to Cariah in the 14th over. The bowler failed to absorb the impact and dropped the catch but the ball eventually hit the stumps at the non-striker's end where Pandya was found wanting. The dismissal meant Pandya’s reprieve on the first ball he faced – a regulation chance dropped by King in slips – did not hurt his opponents much.

Unperturbed, Kishan clobbered Cariah for a six only two balls later before smashing Motie for a four down the ground in the next over to reach within a touching distance of a half-century, which he brought up in 44 balls. Soon afterwards, though, he perished to Motie as he holed out to deep midwicket. In next, Shardul Thakur fell cheaply, edging Cariah to second slip but Rohit and Jadeja scored the remaining runs to ensure India start the series on the right note.

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