IND v WI, 3rd ODI: Kishan, Gill, Samson, Hardik fifties lift India to massive 351-5 against West Indies

Tarouba, Aug 1 (IANS) Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya smashed half-centuries each as India posted a massive 351-5 in their 50 overs of the ODI series decider against West Indies at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Kishan was at his best in taking up the aggressor role, and hitting everything which came in his arc to smash eight fours and three sixes in his knock of 77 off 64 balls. Gill started off slowly, but played some delightful shots while hitting 11 fours and played anchor in his 85 off 92 balls.  

Samson injected some impetus into the Indian innings with two fours and four sixes while making 51 off 41 balls. Though West Indies tried to bounce back with a few wickets, Hardik's unbeaten 52-ball 70 ensured India finished strongly to post their highest ODI total against the West Indies in the Caribbean.

Pushed into batting first, Kishan got off the mark by driving Jayden Seales past cover for a boundary. In the next over, he received a life when Keacy Carty dropped his catch at backward point. Gill joined the party with delightful pull, short-arm jab and brilliant punch past cover for boundaries.

With the ball not swinging much, Kishan used his bottom hand power to collect three boundaries off Kyle Mayers through the leg-side. Gill would steer him for four, before pulling, slashing and punching Alzarri Jospeh for three boundaries in the ninth over, as India got 73 runs in power-play.

Kishan continued to hit big boundaries and reached his third successive ODI fifty in 43 deliveries, followed by Gill reaching his fifty in 51 balls with a pulled four off Cariah. Kishan’s knock ended in the 20th over when he missed Cariah’s delivery on attempting to heave through the leg-side and was stumped.

After Gaikwad’s edge on drive was caught by second slip, Samson announced his arrival by lofting Cariah for two sixes on both sides of ‘v’. After surviving an lbw appeal, Samson stylishly flicked Seales for six. Gill and Samson would continue to deal in boundaries, with the latter reaching his third ODI fifty in 39 balls.

But immediately after, Samson mistimed a loft to mid-off against Shepherd. Seven overs later, Gill couldn’t keep pull down and was caught at mid-wicket off Motie. Hardik got into the groove with a pulled four off Seales and smashing Cariah down the ground for six. On the other hand, Suryakumar was quick in glancing, flicking and lofting low full tosses for boundaries.

But his stay ended at 35 off 30 balls when his attempted open-faced loft was caught by backward point off Shepherd. Hardik would smack powerful sixes off pacers to get his fifty in 45 balls. He went on to hit two sixes and a four in the final over to take India past 350.

Brief Scores: India 351-5 in 50 overs (Shubman Gill 85, Hardik Pandya 70 not out; Romario Shepherd 2-73, Gudakesh Motie 1-38) against West Indies