IND vs WI 2022, 1st ODI: Who won yesterday’s India vs West Indies match?

India beat West Indies by three runs in yesterday’s one-day match at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

In a game that went all the way down to the wire, West Indies fought back from a difficult situation courtesy of some meaty blows from Romario Shepherd (39* off 25). However, the Indian bowlers held their nerve under pressure to defend a total of 308 as the Windies ended on 305 for 6.

With 27 runs needed off the last two overs, Shepherd swung the first ball of the penultimate over from Prasidh Krishna over long-on for six. He then slashed the last delivery past deep third man for four as the equation came down to 15 off the last over.

Shepherd threw his bat hard and edged the third ball of the last over from Mohammed Siraj to the backward square fence. However, the Indian pacer did not concede another boundary as the visitors sneaked home and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

India got off to a confident start in their defence of 308 as Siraj bounced out Shai Hope (7 off 18). The West Indies opener was in no position to play the pull and only ended up top-edging the delivery to deep third man.

Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks launched a fightback for West Indies as the hosts reached 52 for 1 after 10 overs.

Mayers smacked left-arm spinner Axar Patel for three consecutive fours in the 11th over to put India under some pressure. He brought up a half-century off 42 balls by punching Deepak Hooda for a single.

The dangerous 117-run stand was broken when Brooks (46 off 61) pulled a short ball from Shardul Thakur straight to deep backward square leg.

The ‘Lord’ struck again in his next over, this time sending back the well-set Mayers (75 off 68). The set batter tried to drive a full and wide delivery from the Indian pace through point, but only managed a thick outside edge, which was pouched by the keeper.

Windies skipper Nicholas Pooran and Brandon King added 51 for the fourth wicket to keep the hosts in the hunt. However, Siraj broke the stand at a crucial moment as Pooran (25) completely mistimed a slog and offered a simple catch to mid-on.

Yuzvendra Chahal put India ahead in the contest, having Rovman Powell (6) caught at slip with a nicely tossed-up delivery outside off. Powell’s wicket left the West Indies in some trouble at 196 for 5.

King had his struggles, but carried on and reached his fifty off 60 balls. He added 56 for the sixth wicket with Akeal Hosein (33* off 32). However, with the run rate rising, King (54) holed out to deep extra cover, looking to loft a tossed-up delivery from the leggie Chahal.

India would have felt safe at that point, but the plucky Shepherd gave them a scare.

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Shikhar Dhawan shines as India post 308 for 7

Earlier, skipper Shikhar Dhawan led from the front with 97 off 99 as India put up 308 for 7 after losing the toss and being asked to bat. The left-hander’s knock featured 10 fours and three sixes. Dhawan and Shubman Gill (64 off 53) added 119 runs for the opening wicket as the visitors got off to a solid start.

Gill reached his maiden ODI fifty off 36 balls and looked set for a lot more when he gifted his wicket away. The right-hander worked a back-of-length delivery from Alzarri Joseph (2/61) to the right of midwicket and set off for a single.

However, he was literally jogging and an alert Pooran caught him short of his crease with a direct hit at the non-striker’s end.

Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer (54 off 57) then added 94 runs for the second wicket as India kept building on a solid foundation. However, some excellent work in the field enabled West Indies to launch a fightback.

The Indian captain fell three short of a hundred, slashing Gudakesh Motie uppishly towards backward point, where Brooks took a leaping catch by moving to his right.

Shreyas tried an inside-out drive off Motie, but found Pooran in the way, who grabbed a one-handed stunner at cover. Suryakumar Yadav (13) and Sanju Samson (12) both fell cheaply as India slid to 252 for 5 from 213 for 1.

Deepak Hooda was dropped on nought, but failed to find momentum in his innings, which produced 27 runs in 32 balls. A run-a-ball 21 from Axar ensured India got closer to 300 and, eventually, went past it.

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India vs West Indies 2022: Who was Player of the Match in 1st ODI?

Dhawan set up the total for India with a fine knock that ended three short of three figures. Gill and Iyer chipped in with impressive fifties. With the ball, Siraj, Thakur and Chahal claimed two scalps each.

For West Indies, Mayers was aggressive at the top with 75 off 68. King kept the hosts in the hunt with a fighting fifty while Shepherd’s big-hitting nearly took them over the line.

At the end of the day, it was India captain Dhawan who was named Player for the Match for his innings of 97.