Cricket

'Aese khelenge toh semi final bhi nahi aayga' - Fans react as India struggles to chase down paltry total of 115 in 1st ODI against West Indies

India won the first ODI of three-match series against West Indies by five wickets with more than 25 overs to spare.

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IND vs WI 1st ODI

IND vs WI 1st ODI (Source: Twitter)

West Indies may have been heartbroken after failing to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup, but their performance justifies that they don't deserve to. They were annihilated in the first innings of the series opener against India, as the visitors bowled them out in 23 overs. However, their bowlers put up a fight to make the visitors sweat while chasing a paltry total of 115 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday, July 27.

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India continued their winning momentum from the Test series and started off the three-match ODI series with a five-wicket win, but it didn't go the way they wanted. Winning the toss, Rohit Sharma opted to bat first, and Indian bowlers proved that the decision was right by taking regular wickets. Kyle Mayers was the first to be dismissed when Hardik Pandya struck in the third over.

The hosts lost two more wickets inside 10 overs and then Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope tried to build the innings. However, a poor shot by Hetmyer led to a batting collapse. They would not have crossed the triple-figure mark if skipper Hope's 43 was not there. Initially, India tried only the pace attack, but Rohit, realising that the pitch was starting to help with spin, brought in Kuldeep Yadav and quickly wrapped up the first innings. Yadav bagged four wickets and won the Player of the Match, while Ravindra Jadeja also shone with three wickets.

Ishan Kishan's fifty was crucial in India's victory

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India played in reverse order of their batting order as Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill opened the innings with Rohit batting at No. 7. The Men in Blue might have hoped to wrap things up early, but things didn't go as planned. Gill's poor form in the Caribbean tour continued as he was dismissed cheaply in the fourth over. Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan then had a short partnership until the former was dismissed in the 11th over.

Hardik Pandya came in at No. 4 but could not make any significant contribution on the scoreboard. However, Kishan grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he scored a crucial half-century before being dismissed in the 17th over. India lost their fifth wicket of Shardul Thakkur but they were almost close to the finish line. However, Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja ensured they did not lose any more wickets and finished off the match in 22.5 overs.

"I never thought the pitch would play like that, it was the team's need to bowl first and have a score. The pitch had everything for the seamers and spinners, our guys did well to restrict them to that score. We wanted to give game time to the ODI guys who have come in, we will keep trying those things whenever possible. To restrict them to 115, we knew we could try these guys and give them a go. I don't think they'll get many chances like this," Rohit said in the post-match presentation.

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Here's how fans reacted to India's win in the first ODI against West Indies:

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