Shardul Thakur (L) of India walks off the field dismissed by Alzarri Joseph (2R) of West Indies during the 2nd ODI cricket match between West Indies and India, at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on July 29, 2023. Photo: AFP
West Indies capitalised on a helpful pitch and an unconvincing India batting effort to dismiss their opponents for 181 off 40.5 overs batting first in the second One-Day International of a three-match series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and seamer Romario Shepherd claimed three wickets each as India tumbled after an opening stand of 90 between Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill.
With their innings also interrupted twice by seasonal showers, the visitors laboured to gain any middle or lower-order momentum after Motie separated the opening pair.
Gill, on 34, was held at long-off and Kishan slashed a short ball from Shepherd four balls later to be well held by Alick Athanaze diving at backward-point.
Kishan’s 55, his second consecutive half-century, came off 55 balls with six fours and one six.
Suryakumar Yadav (24) was the only other player in the line-up to last any length of time in the middle as the pace of Alzarri Joseph (2 for 35) also proved unsettling for the visitors.
Comfortably defeated by five wickets in the first match at the same venue on Thursday, West Indies dropped all-rounders Rovman Powell and Dominic Drakes and replaced them with middle-order batsman Keacy Carty and Joseph.
India’s intention to use this series for continuous experimentation ahead of the hosting of the World Cup in October was emphasised with regular captain Rohit Sharma and top batsman Virat Kohli rested.
Their places went to batsman Sanju Samson and left-arm spinner Axar Patel with vice-captain Hardik Pandya upgraded to skipper for this fixture.
