Highlights, India vs West Indies, ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Match, Full Cricket Score: India win by 125 runs

Mohammad Shami’s figures of 4/16 is now the best bowling figures for India against West Indies in ODI WCs, going past Mohinder Amarnath’s 3/12 at Lord’s in 1983.

Virat Kohli, India captain: Dhoni knows exactly what he wants to do over there. He had an off day and when he has it, anyone just starts talking. We got to 270 because he was there. We have quite a few players who play instinctive cricket. Dhoni understand and gives feedback how much is par score on the pitch. Last two games, things have not gone the way we thought they would. We have found ways to win. There is a lot of self belief in the changing room.

Jason Holder, West Indies captain: The bowlers did a fantastic job on this surface. Couldn’t have asked for more. (On MS Dhoni’s dropped catch) It was a crucial moment that we didn’t sieze. At the half-way point, we thought we could get there, but obviously it was more than what we needed to do. We’ve let ourselves down significantly. The bowlers have had a reasonable campaign. They gave a big effort in each game. We’ve done a fair job, but fielding definitely has to improve. Our batting was inconsistent.

Windies out of World Cup 2019!

West Indies now out of the semi finals race. Their 6th consecutive Cricket World Cup without reaching the semis. #WIvInd

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) June 27, 2019

Virat Kohli, Player of the Match for 82-ball 72

Kohli: I cannot complain. We have just become No 1 yesterday. The key is to continue the same way. I am happy to contribute as well. It is not for me to explain any other batsmen. I am very happy to knock balls around. I think singles and doubles are important. Probably bigger knocks to come.

Largest defeats for WI in ODI World Cups by runs:

257 v SA, Sydney, 2015
143 v NZ, Wellington, 2015
125 v Ind, Manchester, 2019*

West Indies today bowled like champions and batted like a beaten team. They were exceptional with the ball, with everyone but Oshane Thomas tying India down. But their batting was half-hearted and used only half their skill.

And so the West Indies campaign at this World Cup is finally and formally over, 27 days after they last won a match at this tournament. That alone demonstrates that this 10-team format with one pool of teams does not work, and cannot be the way of the future.

There you go… Shami cleans up West Indies and India are still the only unbeaten side in the competition. They are now on 11 points, second in the table, which is a safe number but not enough to get into semi-finals just yet as there are others who could get on to 11 or get 12 points. Matter of time you would think, especially with that bowling attack. What a treat it is to watch them bowl. The batting though needs some tinkering. Vijay Shankar might not be able to hold on to his spot for much longer, but the mess goes deeper than that.

Well, an interesting moment to end the match. The review was still with the third umpire when the players in the middle started shaking hands, with Thomas confident on the replay that the Shami bouncer had hit the band of his glove as he tried to duck. So the players call the match as being over before the final decision is even made.

OUT! That’s it! India win by 125 runs. 

Shami runs in hard and bangs it short, it hits Thomas’ gloves, ball goes to first slip where Rohit takes a good catch. This time ball was well above the ground. Thomas c Rohit b Shami 6(11). 

Windies are officially out of World Cup.

After 34 overs,West Indies 143/9 ( Kemar Roach 14 , Oshane Thomas 6)

Frustration continues from India as Roach hits two more boundaries off Chahal. Time to bring on the pacers and wrap this up. All that it really takes is a Bumrah or Shami yorker.

FOUR! Edge off Roach’s bat and it goes for four over the vacant gully region for four runs.

FOUR! Flight from Chahal, Roach slog sweeps and gets a boundary at deep mid-wicket

After 33 overs,West Indies 135/9 ( Kemar Roach 6 , Oshane Thomas 6)

Kuldeep continues. Roach smashes this flighted delivery from him for four to long off. Windies’ No 11 showing fight as well. They are adding to India’s frustration even if not approaching a win.

FOUR! Now Roach smashes this half-volley from Kuldeep to the long off region for four runs

After 32 overs,West Indies 129/9 ( Kemar Roach 1 , Oshane Thomas 5)

Chahal produced an edge off Thomas bat and it appeared for a while that Rohit plucked it from the ground. But the third umpire thought otherwise and ruled it not out. Another chance to Chahal but Rahul spills it at deep in the leg side.

FOUR! Flight from Chahal and Thomas sweeps him for four runs to backward square leg

India have just killed this chase from the beginning. Squeezing runs in the beginning, Pandya with clutch control and the wrist spinners doing their magic. This has got to be their best bowling attack in ODI cricket, trickling down from the Test arena of course. Much of the credit goes to the pacers of course. The Men in Blue have never had this sort of strength in pace, ever. Does it make them the best bowling attack in this World Cup? Australia might disagree, but England – ahead of June 30 – should be very worried.

After 31 overs,West Indies 124/9 ( Kemar Roach 1 , Oshane Thomas 0)

Good Test match batting from Roach here. He defends well for first four balls. Goes big on the fuller fifth ball, hits it to mid-off. Dhoni cries for the wrong’un. Kuldeep delivers the same and it beats Roach’s bat.

Oh, that was so out. The most out that out could possibly be. Sheldon Cottrell just looked down at his pad, looked up at the umpire, looked back at his pad. As if the pad had betrayed him by plonking itself in front of middle, for Chahal’s wrong ‘un to hit him while he was standing back on his stumps. But Cottrell can always remember that time he hit one of the biggest sixes of the World Cup, because that previous shot from Chahal went into the back row beneath the big red hospitality stand next to the old Pavilion at the northern end of the ground. Exhilarating.

After 30 overs,West Indies 124/9 ( Kemar Roach 1 , Oshane Thomas 0)

Chahal continues. Hit for a four and then a six by Cottrell. He came back strong with a wrong’un and sent the tail-ender packing. That delivery was too good for Cottrell to be honest.

OUT! That’s the end of Cottrell, Chahal bowled a googly and it was too good for Cottrell who went on back foot and was trapped right in front of the stumps. Cottrell lbw b Chahal 10(8)

SIX! Big hit, Cottrell yet again, just goes big as he connects the bat to ball. This is a 95 meter hit.

FOUR! Hoicked by Cottell. Chahal gave a flight and the right-handed batsman collected four runs to deep mid-wicket

After 29 overs,West Indies 114/8 ( Kemar Roach 1 , Sheldon Cottrell 0)

Some relay race here on the cricket field. Bowlers keep on passing the baton to each other as they go about winning the match for India. Chahal filled in shoes for Kuldeep and got a wicket. Shami replaces Bumrah and he too gets a wicket. Windies all over the place. Has become a fast bowlers game this now. Two batting, one bowling. West Indies need 155 runs.

Yuck. West Indies really have given up easily today as a batting side. They’re facing some good bowlers, sure, but that doesn’t mean you need to give wickets away. That shot was on for Hetmyer with the width of the ball. He just didn’t get over the top of it, and in the end that effort looked as lazy as some before it. He threw his head back in frustration when he was caught, but really he was just hoping for the best with that stroke.

OUT! Hetmyer gets a half-volley, outside the off stump from Shami and he was tempted to slap it through the off side but he ended up giving a straight catch to point fielder Rahul, who took a safe catch. Hetmyer c Rahul b Shami 18(29)

After 28 overs,West Indies 112/7 ( Shimron Hetmyer 18 , Kemar Roach 1)

Wait a minute, Hardik Pandya plucked one from the ground at leg slip off Chahal. India appealed but he said he did not catch it. It is being reconfirmed again and again by the replays. Umpire asked him if he is sure of the catch, he smiled sheepishly and said no. Bizarre.

I’ve rarely heard a media centre as engaged with the match as when Bumrah bowled for his hat-trick. There was a exclamation of excitement as his slower-ball yorker looped up towards Roach’s toes. Bumrah knew how close it was, but his response was just to laugh. He shows a real enjoyment in the game whenever he plays.

After 27 overs,West Indies 107/7 ( Shimron Hetmyer 14 , Kemar Roach 0)

What an over this was from Bumrah. Got better of Brathwait and we showed Dhoni taking a good catch as well. He followed it up with a good length delivery that trapped Allen leg before wicket. Bumrah was on hat-trick and he bowled a perfect yorker, slow in pace, but Roach was able enough to bring bat on time. A maiden wicket for Bumrah. What a bowler.

Virat Kohli was egging the crowd on before the last ball. Working some magic with a partisan crowd, who started cheering as Bumrah rain in. And then Bumrah gets the ball to wrap on the pads and OUT. Magical moment that. Almost like it would happen at home… Manchester be Mumbai today!

OUT! Bumrah strikes again, catches new man Allen leg before the wicket. Allen went upstairs and ball-tracker shows umpire’s call on hitting the wickets. He has to go. DRS remains. Golden duck for him. Bumrah on hat-trick. Fabian Allen lbw b Bumrah 0(1)

You can’t make a brilliant (almost) matchwinning hundred against the odds every time you bat, Carlos Brathwaite. And you can’t do much against a Jasprit Bumrah delivery like that. Perfect seam position again, angling in, cutting away from the right-hander, and too quick as well. Nothing to do but outside edge that, and see Dhoni forget any thought of byes by flying through the air to catch it.

OUT! Bumrah takes his first. Good length and shaping away from Brathwaite, he edged it behind the stumps, Dhoni was moving to his leg but dived in time to catch it one-handed. Rohit Sharma, at first slip, was impressed by the catch. India celebrate**. Brathwaite c Dhoni b Bumrah 1(5)**

After 26 overs,West Indies 107/5 ( Shimron Hetmyer 14 , Carlos Brathwaite 1)

Chahal continues. Bowling well the leggi right now. Hetmyer collected a boundary in the over. Windies need to make sure they are collecting runs.

FOUR! On the back foot and Hetmyer smashes it for four runs to deep cover. Much-needed boundary for Windies.

After 25 overs,West Indies 101/5 ( Shimron Hetmyer 9 , Carlos Brathwaite 0)

Brathwaite has come in to bat. Needless to say he played a special knock in last match. Windies need him to repeat the that. Bumrah has been brought back. There is great planning and co-ordination going on at the moment. Bumrah bowled a slower, Brathwaite hit it just ahead of short cover and Kohli raced in and dived and fell short by inches. It is as if he knew what was coming off Bumrah’s hands.

One thing is going in West Indies’ favour today – extras. India have given away 16 extras, including 9 byes so far. And that’s already a record for MS Dhoni. Today two balls have got through him to the boundary, one from Bumrah and one from Chahal. Plus there was another single bye from Jadhav.

On a dry, slow pitch, West Indies had made India struggle a lot. That same situation has been perfectly utilised by India’s second line of attack. Pandya first, and now the leg spinners. Kuldeep in particular is getting superb drift, given how the breeze is blowing across the ground. This conditions are now replicating the early half of last English summer when Kuldeep enjoyed a lot of success here. And with five wickets down for the Windies, India are primed for the kill.

Indian bowlers have been marvelous! 

Batsmen are the big stars in Indian cricket, but the bowlers have been marvellous and have had a bigger contribution in the team’s success — across formats — in recent times

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) June 27, 2019

MS Dhoni has conceded 9 byes today so far — the most he has conceded in an ODI innings, going past seven in 2014 against West Indies at Kochi.

West Indies have had some really casual-looking dismissals today. Chahal left the ball hanging for a long time there, giving Holder time to think. The tall West Indies captain used his considerable limbs to stretch forward to that ball and just play lackadaisically through the line. It looked like he went too early at the ball, wasn’t trying to loft it but just lifted it at a comfortable height to the catcher set right back at the edge of the circle at cover.

After 24 overs,West Indies 98/5 ( Shimron Hetmyer 6 , Carlos Brathwaite 0)

Pointed by Holding on air. Holder was not trying to reach the pitch of the ball against the spin. That led to his fall. He tried to play standing firm at the crease, could not connect well against the spinning ball. Earlier, the cameras spotted Dhoni asking Chahal to flight the ball. There was a lot of flight in the dismissal of Holder, that lured him to play the inside out shot. Windies in big trouble.

OUT! Soft dismissal, Chahal flights and Holder hit it standing firm in the crease, he tried to hit inside out and ended up giving a catch to extra cover fielder. Windies five down now. Holder c Kedar Jadhav b Chahal 6(13)

After 23 overs,West Indies 97/4 ( Shimron Hetmyer 5 , Jason Holder (C) 6)

Kuldeep almost repeated the Babar Azam dismissal but this time the ball hit Holder’s pad and ballooned in air and hit Dhoni’s chest. India appealed but the umpire was unmoved. Kuldeep done with his seventh over. 5 off the over.

After 22 overs,West Indies 92/4 ( Shimron Hetmyer 4 , Jason Holder (C) 4)

Yuzvendra Chahal, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack and Dhoni yet again misreads Chahal behind the stumps. Was slow to cover it with his gloves. He has looked shaky so far behind the stumps, which is definitely a surprise.

Shimron Hetmyer has already made himself a cult star with his style at the crease, and he continues that today. When he first walked out to bat he was wearing his helmet, but then realised Kuldeep would be the bowler so he summoned the 12th man to swap his helmet for his broad-brimmed hat. Then at the end of that over Hetmyer summoned the helmet, then saw that Kedar Jadhav would be replacing Pandya, so he sent the helmet back once again. Will bat in a hat at any chance he gets, Hetmyer.

After 21 overs,West Indies 84/4 ( Shimron Hetmyer 2 , Jason Holder (C) 2)

Poor batting from Windies. Hetmyer got second chance in the last Kuldeep over. Pooran now played a rash shot to get out. They are not showing any fight and Indian bowlers continue to maintain the stranglehold on the match.

Oh, that was poor from Pooran. He’s been out there so long, has taken so much time, but with his dismissal shot he backed away from Kuldeep but still found the ball too close to his body. He had neither balance nor a clear swing at the ball, but went through with it anyway. Watching Mohammad Shami down at long-off, he had all the time in the world. Came forward a couple of paces, then back a couple, then just settled and relaxed. He looked completely at ease waiting for the ball to come down, never a chance of dropping it. And took the catch comfortably with hands cupped.

OUT! Kuldeep tosses it up and he has now got the wicket. Pooran went after him and tried to clear the ropes at long off but he could not connect well and has been caught there by Shami. Pooran c Shami b Kuldeep Yadav 28(50)

After 20 overs,West Indies 80/3 ( Nicholas Pooran 29 , Shimron Hetmyer 0)

Kedar comes into the attack for the first time in the tournament and does a good job. 5 off the over. India need wickets now. Cannot just sit back and wait.

Curious to know the story behind the by-play out there in the middle. Ambris had just smashed Hardik Pandya to the fence before that dismissal. Then was leg-before the next ball, and Pandya applauded the batsman sarcastically. At least that’s how it looked from here. Perhaps he was applauding Dhoni?

I’d like to see a review of the Ambris lbw, which looked liked it could have been too high. Probably umpire’s call for height. But he didn’t use it, and now Hetmyer is saved by that same review after inside-edging the ball.

FOUR! Pooran hits it well to third man boundary for four runs. Top shot from the left-handed batsman

After 19 overs,West Indies 75/3 ( Nicholas Pooran 24 , Shimron Hetmyer 0)

Kuldeep continues. He almost got Hetmyer on the last ball. Ball struck on the pads. India appealed and umpire raised the finger. Hetmyer went upstairs and the Ultra-edge showed that there was a spike as the ball passed the bat.

Pandya with a wicket just when a partnership seems to be developing. Surprised that Ambris didn’t go for DRS. Anyway, the upward curve of Pandya is really beneficial to the team. Has come leaps and bounds since his 2017 Champions Trophy travails, adding the slower ball and bouncer to his arsenal. The fact that Kohli hasn’t yet thought of bowling Jadhav for 68 overs in two matches yet is a great credit to Pandya.

After 18 overs,West Indies 71/3 ( Nicholas Pooran 23 , )

Pandya continues and this time he was welcomed with a boundary by Pooran. Ambris too hit him for a boundary off the penultimate ball but Pandya showed brains and outdid him with a slower one. Windies three down now. 11 off the over.

OUT! Hardik Pandya has struck here. Pace off the ball and Ambris could not adjust to it, the ball came in to him and struck the pads right in front of the stumps. Umpire Illingworth raised the finger straightaway. Ambris throught for a while and decided not to review it. Ambris lbw b Hardik Pandya 31(40)

FOUR! Length delivery from Pandya, Ambris used bottom hand to good effect and collects four runs at cow corner

FOUR! Poor ball from Pandya, half-tracker and he Pooran pulled it away for four runs to square leg region

After 17 overs,West Indies 60/2 ( Sunil Ambris 26 , Nicholas Pooran 17)

Kuldeep almost trapped Pooran in the flight as the left-handed batsman hit it to long-on fielder but it reached him on one bounce. Kedar again the fielder, catches seems to be falling short to him today. Has happened thrice now in this game so far. 4 off the over.

After 16 overs,West Indies 56/2 ( Sunil Ambris 24 , Nicholas Pooran 15)

Pandya continues after drinks. Ambris collects his first boundary through lovely cover drive. Pandya bowls what looked like last-minute slower on a yorker length. Well evaded by Pooran. Six off the over.

FOUR! First boundary for Ambris, lovely drive through the covers for four runs, Vijay did try a dive but it was not enough

Nicholas Pooran keeps playing against the spin when facing Kuldeep Yadav. Pooran is a left-hander with the left-arm wrist spinner turning the ball away from him. But he still tries a sweep, then later turns away to midwicket. He looks far more convincing when playing the other way, nudging to cover and then cutting. In the meantime, for the Ambris, there’s a slip and a leg slip in for Kuldeep. With the ball turning towards the right-hander, they’re hoping he’ll nudge one around the corner, or outside edge the googly.

Heck of a bowling unit! 

can't be said enough, this is a heck of a bowling unit...just relentless quality #INDvsWI #CWC19

— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) June 27, 2019

After 15 overs,West Indies 50/2 ( Sunil Ambris 19 , Nicholas Pooran 14)

Kuldeep continues. Kuldeep was bowling a little faster. Dhoni asked him to slow down the pace a bit and followed the orders. Two runs collected off the last two balls. Fifty up for Windies. 5 off the over. Drinks called.

After 14 overs,West Indies 45/2 ( Sunil Ambris 17 , Nicholas Pooran 11)

Pandya should show some heart and bowl a little fuller. Short and back of the length deliveries being played easily by the two batters. Chahal cut off a boundary on the penultimate ball. 3 off the over.

After 13 overs,West Indies 42/2 ( Sunil Ambris 15 , Nicholas Pooran 11)

Kuldeep continues. Pooran is getting runs and is looking good but this could also be a trap against Kuldeep. He may give some easy runs but one beauty of a delivery in the over would be enough to get rid of him. 3 off the over.

Least runs scored in first 10 overs this WC:

29/2 – India v West Indies, Manchester

30/2 – New Zealand v West Indies, Manchester

32/1 – West Indies v Bangladesh, Taunton

After 11 overs,West Indies 34/2 ( Sunil Ambris 12 , Nicholas Pooran 7)

Spin introduced by Kohli. Kuldeep Yadav comes into the attack. He is bowling a bit short. Ambris and Pooran collect singles and doubles. Five off the over.

The worst powerplay of this WC! 

Fewest runs scored in first powerplay (10 overs) in #CWC19:
29-2 WI v Ind
30-2 NZ v WI
32-1 WI v Ban
34-2 SA v Ind
34-1 Ind v SA#INDvsWI

— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) June 27, 2019

After 10 overs,West Indies 29/2 ( Sunil Ambris 10 , Nicholas Pooran 4)

Hardik Pandya, right-arm fast medium, brought into the attack. This will provide some relief to the two batsmen. Bumrah is off at least. They need to put up a good stand here and rebuild the innings. End of first powerplay. Windies 29/2.

After 9 overs,West Indies 25/2 ( Sunil Ambris 8 , Nicholas Pooran 2)

Shami is mixing up the length quite well. Fuller at times and then he pulls the length short to surprise the batsmen. Importantly, he is delivering the deliveries he plans in his head. 4 off the over.

Mohammad Shami is now the leading wicket-taker (25) for India in ODIs this year.

Shami has split this game apart. Double strike and West Indies will struggle to rebuild now. That inswinger to Shai Hope was such a thing of beauty. You need to admire it as much as Starc’s yorker the other day. You know, Bumrah is an exceptional bowler. He is a unique pacer. But Shami… what a complete fast bowler he is. Pace, movement, reverse, bounce, he has got everything and that smooth action. It is a marvellous story of his career coming back from the brink and how fit he is today.

After 8 overs,West Indies 21/2 ( Sunil Ambris 6 , Nicholas Pooran 0)

This has been sort of trend this World Cup as Dhoni has had issues going down to collect the ball off pacers. He ended up giving 4 byes again. He was facing back issues not so long ago, maybe that is catching up. One more edge flew behind the stumps but fell short of Dhoni. Bumrah is itching to get one wicket. 5 off the over.

After 7 overs,West Indies 16/2 ( Sunil Ambris 5 , Nicholas Pooran 0)

Okay, so Shami missed his run-up for second time. He got back to the back of the length now for some reason. Got hit for four by Hope on the back foot. Next ball, he pitched it up and the same seamed in after pitching, beat Hope’s bat and hit the top of off stump. Dream fast bowling.

OUT! This is a dream. Shami pitches it up, hits the seam and it comes back on sharply, it hits the top of off stump. This is top class fast bowling. Hope had no idea what happened and how it happened. He is gone for 5. Shai Hope b Shami 5(10)

Mohammad Shami has taken 24 wickets this year in ODIs — the joint most for India alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal.

FOUR! Off the back foot, and Hope hits the first confident shot of the day, through the point region for four runs.

The key in that Gayle dismissal was pace. He hasn’t looked comfortable against the properly fast stuff lately, perhaps just ageing enough to slightly slow his reflexes. He can still blast away a spinner or a mid-range seamer, but the top end of town has proved too much of late. When Gayle tried to pull that short ball from Shami, it hit high on the blade, up near the splice. So it only lobbed out into the leg side, and Jadhav had plenty of time to run around. Basically the ball was through Gayle before he had played the shot. Pace.

After 6 overs,West Indies 12/1 ( Sunil Ambris 5 , Shai Hope (W) 1)

The first ball from Bumrah in this over tells you about the mindset of the Indian bowlers. Bumrah bowls a yorker, not as perfect as he would have liked but this is a message to Hope and Ambris. Be very, very watchful. The margin of error is very minimal here. Hope tries to play a drive on the up and he found himself nowhere really as the ball passed the edge. Two balls later, the edge is produced but it falls short of Kohli at second slip. Windies nervous and under the pump. Just 2 off the over.

One thing that really strikes you watching West Indies live is that you realise just how big Chris Gayle is. I mean, you know that he’s big. You hear him described as big. You watch him on television and can see that he’s big. But you see him striding around out there in the middle and he is just a physically enormous chunk of human being. He doesn’t just make Chahal look tiny, he makes Bumrah look tiny.

But he hasn’t been imposing with his scores so far in this World Cup. Mohammad Shami may look miniature next to Gayle, but he’s still able to bowl fast enough to draw the mistake. And Gayle’s giant form lumbers off the field once more.

After 5 overs,West Indies 10/1 ( Sunil Ambris 4 , Shai Hope (W) 0)

Gayle was surprised by the one that took off from the good length. Next ball, he pitches one short again and Gayle attempted to pull to break the shackles, he ended up losing his wicket. This is a top class bowling from Indian pacer. Absolutely fired up he is right now. Also, When Shami bowls to Ambris, it is only matter of waiting for when the ball breaches the bat and pad gap and collides with the stumps. He has got the line and length right from the word go.

OUT! That is what you call intelligent cricket, intelligent bowling. Shami had left Gayle in two minds on the previous ball, this time he bowls another good bouncer, Gayle tries to break shackles and attempted a pull but he was unsure of the shot, he ended up hitting it straight to the mid-on fielder. 
Gayle c Kedar Jadhav b Shami 6(19)

After 4 overs,West Indies 9/0 ( Chris Gayle 6 , Sunil Ambris 3)

Classic Bumrah on display here. Just keeping the batsmen guessing what is coming off next. Windies off to slow start as has been a routine in this tournament. But the two batsmen need to go big at some stage. Just 2 off the over.

After 3 overs,West Indies 7/0 ( Chris Gayle 5 , Sunil Ambris 2)

Shami continues and he is spitting fire with the ball. Cut Ambris into two on the first ball with a jaffa. He brought one more in next ball, hit him near back thigh and the ball was in air for some time. This is pace bowling at its best from two of world’s best new-ball bowlers. Just 2 off the over.

Chris Gayle has hit four centuries against India in ODIs — the most by any West Indies batsman. He has scored seven fifty-plus scores in his last 10 ODI innings.

After 2 overs,West Indies 5/0 ( Chris Gayle 4 , Sunil Ambris 1)

Jasprit Bumrah, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack. Hits the deck yard and then takes two away from Gayle. Yorks him on the fifth ball, India appeal but to no avail. Kohli thought of going for DRS but he decided against it at the last minute. Just 1 off the over. Good start from Bumrah.

After 1 overs,West Indies 4/0 ( Chris Gayle 4 , Sunil Ambris 0)

Mohammad Shami gets the new ball and Gayle happy to leave first three deliveries, which shaped away from him after pitching. Shami brings one in to him and he the inside edge almost dislodged the bails. Lucky escape for Gayle straightaway. Four off the over.

FOUR! Gayle is off the mark with a boundary but not in the most convincing manner. Inside edge off the bat and it almost dislodged the bails. Is lucky to be still there and get a boundary as well.

The chase begins. 
Big Chris Gayle and Sunil Ambris to open the innings. Mohammed Shami to start off the proceedings with the ball.

Indian fans are special! 

🇺🇸 → 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Passion 🙌 #TeamIndia | #WIvIND | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/AMSzgXP4cp

— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 27, 2019

MS Dhoni today:

First 45 balls : 26 runs (SR – 57.78)
Next 16 balls : 30 runs (SR – 187.50)

India today:

1-10 overs : 47-1
11-20 overs : 50-0
21-30 overs : 51-3
31-40 overs : 38-1
41-50 overs : 82-2

82 in the last 10 overs. Despite all the online criticism, Dhoni finally made sure India finished the game on a high. Spurt of boundaries in the last few overs. It does impact that India’s tail begins at number 8 with Shami. Bhuvi Kumar is missed, but the bigger loss for India is Dhawan. Indian batting runs deep only when the top-order fires. Rahul’s dismissal was the turning point, not Kohli’s. West Indies, meanwhile, will back themselves to get 269.

MS Dhoni’s 50-plus scores in ODI World Cups:

v Sri Lanka, Mumbai, 2011
v Zimbabwe, Auckland, 2015
v Australia, Sydney, 2015
v West Indies, Manchester, 2019*

This has been a top bowling performance by the West Indies, notwithstanding the expensive final over. Thomas is the only bowler to have struggled today – he’s been smashed, honestly. But there were wickets for Cottrell. Economy for Fabian Allen. Wickets and economy for Kemar Roach and Holder. They’ve been disciplined and careful, haven’t relied on the short ball too much, and have made it hard for India to score. So the question is whether West Indies batsmen can be as disciplined and productive. If they win here it will certainly make the points table interesting.

After 50 overs,India 268/7 ( MS Dhoni (W) 56 , Kuldeep Yadav 0)

The MS Dhoni show finally came to the town in the final over as he smashed two sixes and a four to collect 16 off the final over to take India to 268/7. Also, completed his own fifty. With the slow nature of the pitch, India would be pretty happy with their work.

SIX! Short ball is a big no no but Thomas makes the mistake again as MSD smokes that over backward square leg

FIFTY! Dhoni has taken his time but he has reached to the land mark in 59 deliveries. And reached there with a four down the ground as he flat-batted his shot to long-on

So much waving going on before the final over for West Indies. Holder and Thomas and Brathwaite. Carlos is down at fine leg, the tallest man ready to try to stop anything going over him. (It goes over midwicket instead when Thomas drops short.) Gayle is at backward point, where he’s probably the least agile backward point in the world. Cottrell at short third man.

SIX! A length ball in death to Dhoni is not a good choice but Thomas went for it and Dhoni clobbered that over mid-wicket for a maximum

After 49 overs,India 252/7 ( MS Dhoni (W) 40 , Kuldeep Yadav 0)

A brilliant over for Cottrell. Just three from the over and two wickets. Cottrell getting rewarded for his hard work. Pandya was offered a wide full delivery which he crashed straight to sweeper cover before Shami gloved his pull shot ot the keeper. Cottrell finishes on figures of 10-0-50-2.

OUT! Shami c Shai Hope b Cottrell 0(2)

Shami goes back for duck without troubling the scorers. Cottrell fired in a cross-seamed short delivery as Shami swiveled across to play a pull shot but misjudged the ball and gloved it to the keeper.

Oshane Thomas has been off the field for a good long while with an injured thumb. The over that he just bowled was his re-entry to the field. You wonder whether that injury was bothering him when he put the catch down off Dhoni. But perhaps it doesn’t much matter when Cottrell gets Pandya immediately afterwards.

OUT! Hardik Pandya c Fabian Allen b Cottrell 46(38)

Cottrell makes the most of the sluggish pitch with a slower outside off delivery as Pandya played his shot straight to the sweeper cover trying to search for a boundary.

After 48 overs,India 249/5 ( MS Dhoni (W) 38 , Hardik Pandya 46)

A leading edge off Pandya’s bat as he attempted a pull shot on a full toss flew over short fine leg but not far enough for a boundary. Followed by a caught and bowled opportunity as Dhoni checked his shot at the last moment but Thomas failed to get under the catch. Pandya finishes up the over with a four in deep extra cover area. 11 off the over.

FOUR! Finally a boundary after a lot of hit and miss. Pandya slapped this one to deep extra cover to escape the fielder

DROPPED! Thomas couldn’t get the palms under the catch in his follow through. Dhoni checked his shot in last moment and the ball ballooned straight back to the bowler but Thomas couldn’t hold onto the catch

After 47 overs,India 238/5 ( MS Dhoni (W) 36 , Hardik Pandya 37)

Dhoni took a single on the first ball to bring up 50-run partnership before Pandya smashed the fuller delivery over mid-off for a much-needed four. The run rate is also finally over 5. Nine off the over.

FOUR! Good shot. Again the mid-off was in position and Pandya decided to go over the fielder to find the boundary. A safe shot.

After 46 overs,India 229/5 ( MS Dhoni (W) 34 , Hardik Pandya 30)

Dhoni had enough. Flat-bats Brathwaite’s delivery over the circle with the mid-off in position. His first boundary in 16 overs. India would hope for more of the same. He also keeps the strike. 10 off the over.

Hint of boos as Dhoni refuses the second run, but they slowly transform into cheer as Brathwaite runs in. Smack! Is Dhoni about to change gears? India can still hope to cross 250 if he does. But here is an alternate thought… if the pitch has slowed too much (second game on it) that it is affecting Indian batsmen. Or maybe it is plain and simple sh*t batting from the middle order, started by Rahul’s dismissal again. 

Meanwhile, Old Trafford Dj doing his bit by belting out Lagaan numbers. Chale chalo and all that!

FOUR! The mid-off was in position and Dhoni decided to go over the top against Brathwaite. A safe shot in such a circumstance.

After 45 overs,India 219/5 ( MS Dhoni (W) 26 , Hardik Pandya 28)

Four off the over as Cottrell continues and Windies won’t mind this. India are in need of some aggression but the batsmen haven’t been able to hit the top gear so far aided by the sluggish pitch.

After 44 overs,India 214/5 ( MS Dhoni (W) 25 , Hardik Pandya 24)

Pandya just showcases his brute strength in the over as he flat-batted the slower delivery by Brathwaite down the ground for a boundary. Tried swiping the next ball but the low bounce took the leading edge to off but fell safely. A bit of delay in the game as Cottrell injures his knee fielding at short third man. 10 off the over.

Carlos Braithwaite is getting very upset out in the middle. He’s usually known as a genial and friendly character, but he was most displeased by a couple of the wide calls against him in his previous over. Now to start a new over, he’s waving and gesticulating very expressively at Nicholas Pooran out at third man or backward point. Braithwate wants Pooran further around, and is not happy that it’s taking some time to get the desired field. He’s going over the top really, and Holder puts an arm around his shoulders to ask him to calm down and focus.

FOUR! Pure power of Pandya! Slower delivery from Brathwaite has been thrashed past him with a flat-batted shot by Pandya

Lowest batting SRs in the last three years in ODIs: (Min. 2000 balls faced)

70.41 – Rahmat Shah
75.61 – Shai Hope
77.60 – Tamim Iqbal
78.45 – MS Dhoni*
79.59 – Kane Williamson

After 43 overs,India 204/5 ( MS Dhoni (W) 21 , Hardik Pandya 18)

Cottrell has been called back into attack. Four off the over. Ganguly said on air that India need minimum 250 to be on the safe side in this match,so we are expecting some fireworks to follow soon. Meanwhile, apart from few of the bouncers keeping low, one kicked up from length in this over.

Count them – Holder’s allotment of 10 overs today included 46 dot balls. Forty six! That’s a record for the tournament, in fact – Jimmy Neesham bowled 45 when he picked up his five wickets against Afghanistan. Holder did give away a few boundaries as well, so 2 for 33 is his final return. But any bowler in the world would gladly take those figures against this Indian batting line-up.

After 42 overs,India 200/5 ( MS Dhoni (W) 20 , Hardik Pandya 15)

200 up for India! We are into the final powerplay. The field is spread and that has helped Dhoni and Pandya to rotate strike regularly. 13 from the first over of Brathwaite including a four for Pandya with a pull shot to the gap between square leg and mid-wicket.

FOUR! A much-needed boundary for India. A pull shot from Pandya, not a convention pull shot but an effective one as he finds the gap between square leg and mid-wicket

After 41 overs,India 187/5 ( MS Dhoni (W) 18 , Hardik Pandya 6)

Pandya smoked the first ball down the ground but too straight and it clattered into the stumps. Attempted a pull shot later but the ball stuck onto the pitch as the to-edged shot dropped in front of cover. Finally took a single with a shot on leg and that was it as Holder finishes his quota with figures of 10-2-33-2.

After 40 overs,India 186/5 ( MS Dhoni (W) 18 , Hardik Pandya 5)

Allen continues. Two off the over. There could have been another dismissal after a mixup as Pandya came halfway down the track but Dhoni had not interest. Luckily Pandya was back in time.

After 39 overs,India 184/5 ( MS Dhoni (W) 17 , Hardik Pandya 4)

Kohli has thrown away another start, failing to score a big one yet again. Despite a tough surface, he was looking at ease. Whipped a short ball past mid-on for a boundary and may be got carried away a bit as he went to play the pull shot. But the ball deceived him with low bounce and the shot was a meek one, into the hands of the mid-wicket fielder. Hardik Pandya is the new batsman. Pandya gets off the mark with a boundary to fine leg.

Good grief. That was unexpected. And no one expected it less than Virat Kohli. When he pulled Holder to midwicket Kohli just stood and looked at the catcher, in an indignant pose as though he had just been on the receiving end of an injustice. But his annoyance and disbelief was directed at himself. He couldn’t believe that he’d given up his wicket like that. The ball stopped in the wicket perhaps? And stayed a bit low? Kohli was back and ready for the pull, but ended up not hitting it cleanly. I think he was expecting more bounce and then had to come down lower. In the end he got a sliced shot, it looked almost like a partial top edge to midwicket. Holder does the job again for his team.

FOUR! Fine leg should have cut this off as Pandya played the pull shot but the misfield has gifted India a boundary

Kohli is gone. Let that sink in, if you are an Indian fan. This is not India’s batting template in ODI cricket. Too many wickets in the middle overs, and now they will struggle to reach 300 here.

INDIA LOSE KOHLI! 

Kohli c (sub)Darren Bravo b Holder 72(82) 

Kohli is devastated and he should. After all, it was such a soft dismissal. It was a half-tracker by Holder and Kohli swiveled for a pull but the low bounce out did him as he placed a dolly into the hands of the fielder at mid-wicket.

FOUR! Kohli is batting on a different track. Holder angled the fuller delivery into the batsman and Kohli whipped the shot past mid-on

After 38 overs,India 176/4 ( Virat Kohli (C) 68 , MS Dhoni (W) 17)

Dhoni faced five deliveries in the over for a single. Windies would not mid having him more on the strike as his strike rate at the moment is just above 53. Two off the over.

Surely it’s a bit of a West Indies cliche by now, but the DJ at the ground keeps playing Bob Marley songs in between the overs. I suppose it won’t bother any actual Caribbean people, because I genuinely can see two West Indies shirts and one West Indies flag in the entire ground. There must be a few others that are hidden, but… yeesh. It’s blue and orange all the way here today.

After 37 overs,India 174/4 ( Virat Kohli (C) 67 , MS Dhoni (W) 16)

The excellent Roach has finished his quota and skipper Holder has decided to come into attack. Three off the over as singles keep the scoreboard ticking. The run rate for now is 4.7. May be India will want it to shoot up soon.

After 36 overs,India 171/4 ( Virat Kohli (C) 66 , MS Dhoni (W) 14)

A fumble at backward point allows Dhoni to collect two before he cuts the short ball past the same position to collect another double. A single on last ball for MS to retain the strike.

The No 4 debate goes abroad!

No idea totally baffling.😳

— Mark Waugh (@juniorwaugh349) June 27, 2019

After 35 overs,India 166/4 ( Virat Kohli (C) 66 , MS Dhoni (W) 9)

Roach continues. Four off the over as Kohli keeps the scoreboard ticking. The over also included the beautiful Kohli cover drive but it was cut off at fence to keep it down to two.

The last time MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli added 50-plus runs in an ODI while batting first was in 2017 against New Zealand at Mumbai.

After 34 overs,India 162/4 ( Virat Kohli (C) 62 , MS Dhoni (W) 9)

Dhoni was a goner in this over but Hope just couldn’t do a Dhoni on Dhoni. MS was beaten by Allen as he came out of crease but Hope messed it up badly and failed to collect the ball twice and the opportunity to do the stumping. A four for Kohli as he cut the wide ball behind point. Eight off the over. Roach finishes his quota with figures of 10-0-36-3.

FOUR! Short, wide of off delivery and Kohli shows his calls as he rocks back to cut it in to the gap on off

STUMPING MISSED! Dhoni was beaten comfortably by Allen as the batsman sauntered out but Hope failed to collect the ball twice and the opportunity to effect the stumping. There was a flicker of the stump and umpires took a review but Dhoni is safe again. There was no need for the review though as the stumps were never broken

After 33 overs,India 154/4 ( Virat Kohli (C) 56 , MS Dhoni (W) 8)

Kohli collected a single on the first ball with a flick to fine leg followed by four dot balls to Dhoni by Roach. He pushed the last ball to mid-on to retain the single.

After 32 overs,India 152/4 ( Virat Kohli (C) 55 , MS Dhoni (W) 7)

Allen has been recalled into attack to replace Thomas. Another over with just two coming off it. Dhoni has seven off nine and it would be wrong to say that there’s not much focus on his batting and strike rate.

Kemar Roach has been a great inclusion today, not just for his bowling skills but for his reviewing skills. He’s only played a couple of matches so far in the tournament, and didn’t take a wicket in either. But West Indies called upon him today and he’s more than delivered. First with the line-ball Rohit call, then with the Jadhav one. Again no love from the umpire, but Kemar was more than confident.

After 31 overs,India 150/4 ( Virat Kohli (C) 54 , MS Dhoni (W) 6)

We had an extended drinks break as Kohli also took a convenience break. Two from the over and we have 150 up for India. Good over by Roach as he squared up Kohli once with the ball moving away.

Your pick?

India Fans Pakistan Fans
🤝
Appreciation of
exquisite cover driving pic.twitter.com/gTLQPetZwg

— ICC (@ICC) June 27, 2019

After 30 overs,India 148/4 ( Virat Kohli (C) 53 , MS Dhoni (W) 5)

Dhoni is off and running with a boundary. Well he took a single before the boundary but that shot would give him a lot of confidence. Played the short ball from Thomas on back-foot to force the punch shot past point fielder. Eight off the over. Drinks break taken.

FOUR! Good shot by MS! Short and wide delivery and Dhoni hung back to crash it off back-foot past point for his first boundary

After 29 overs,India 140/4 ( Virat Kohli (C) 51 , MS Dhoni (W) 0)

India lose another wicket. Third scalp for Roach. Jadhav wanted to feel the outside off length ball but it moved away just a bit to take the edge to the keeper. Umpire was not impressed in the beginning but Windies players were convinced and review showed there was a spike on UltraEdge. MS Dhoni is the new batsman. Five off the over.

India’s middle order in further trouble. Feather edge to the keeper and Jadhav is gone. Seemed like a good decision sending him up ahead of Dhoni to get things rolling. Think it was Ravi Shastri’s decision to do that, for the match situation was quite similar to that in Southampton. But Indian batting in deeper trouble now. Kohli once again the key. Also, it remains to be seen which version of Dhoni the batsman has come out today. Different pitch and West Indies don’t have too many spinners, so he might just be able to chip in well here.

Most consecutive fifty-plus scores for captains in ODI World Cups:

4 – Graeme Smith, 2007
4 – Aaron Finch, 2019
4 – Virat Kohli, 2019*

Four consecutive fifty-plus scores for India in ODI World Cups:

Navjot Sidhu, 1987
Sachin Tendulkar, 1996, 2003
Virat Kohli, 2019*

India were 3-down in 27th over in Southampton. They are 3-down in the 27th over in Manchester as well. That middle order problem is once again exposed. Indian batting is used to its top three batting deep and taking the game to the 35th over. They are not used to this. Also, scanner now firmly on Vijay Shankar. He has not enough with the bat to justify his selection at number four. Indian team management will be hard pressed to make a choice for the Edgbaston game.

OUT! Kedar Jadhav c Shai Hope b Roach 7(10)

Jadhav stretched his arms to feel the outside off length delivery from Roach which nibbled away just a bit. Hope and Windies fielder went up straight away for an edge but the umpire wasn’t interested. The UltraEdge, however, on the replays showed a spike, so Jadhav has to go.

Kedar before MSD a good call?

Fourth consecutive half century for @imVkohli. Class apart. Interesting to see Jadhav come ahead of MSD with so many overs remaining. What’s the thinking I wonder

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) June 27, 2019

After 28 overs,India 135/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 50 , Kedar Jadhav 3)

Wickets keep falling around him but Kohli is unperturbed. He has raced to his fifty in 55 balls. His fourth consecutive of this World Cup. Before taking the single to reach his fifty, Kohli also creamed a four off Thomas, who is back into attack, through cover.

Least innings to 20,000 international runs:

417 – VIRAT KOHLI*

453- Sachin Tendulkar 

453- Brian Lara

FIFTY! After reaching the 20000 career run mark, Kohli has now brought up his half-century in 55 balls. Fourth in this World Cup in a row.

FOUR! Fuller and wider delivery by Thomas and Kohli leans forward to smash it between mid-off and cover gap

After 27 overs,India 128/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 45 , Kedar Jadhav 1)

India are in a spot of bother here with Shankar falling against Roach, who picks up his second wicket after returning to the attack. Got Shankar out with a jaffa as the fuller ball moved away just a bit to take the outside edge to the keeper. Kedar Jadhav is the new batsman.

OUT! Shankar c Shai Hope b Roach 14(19)

Roach picks up a wicket immediately on his return to the attack. The fuller delivery moved away just a bit to take the outside edge to the keeper while Shankar was behind the line of the delivery. Hope took the catch with a dive to the right.

After 26 overs,India 126/2 ( Virat Kohli (C) 44 , Vijay Shankar 14)

Kohli is very strong on leg and he showed it in the over as Cottrell bowled a short delivery which failed to kick up. The batsman swiveled across and rolled his hands over it to put it away to fine leg fence. Eight off the over.

FOUR! Played very fine by Kohli. He moved across and swiveled to pull the short ball to fine leg fence off Cottrell

After 25 overs,India 118/2 ( Virat Kohli (C) 37 , Vijay Shankar 13)

An appeal for lbw as Kohli moved across to flick the fuller delivery but he had inside-edged the ball onto the pads. Shankar, however, manages to execute the shot as he whips the last ball past mid-on for a four. Five off the over.

Interesting how the momentum can swing, though. A change in batsman that brings Shankar to the crease, and suddenly he picks up three boundaries from Holder in two overs. The second boundary was streaky, but either side of it were a couple of overpitched balls and the batsman was looking to take full toll. A good positive push back against a quality operator.

FOUR! Shankar looks quite confident now as he whips the fuller delivery from Holder to the area between long-on and mid-wicket

Jason Holder has shown just how hard he can be to face. Standing at about six-foot-eight, it means that the ball is coming down from about nine feet in the air. He’s not the fastest in the world but he generates steep bounce from a fuller length. So if he lands the ball in the right spot, he can be very difficult to get away. Then he builds pressure – eight runs conceded through his first five overs. And that’s enough to leave KL Rahul in two minds while facing Holder, and play that tentative defensive shot that couldn’t protect the stumps.

After 24 overs,India 113/2 ( Virat Kohli (C) 36 , Vijay Shankar 9)

Kohli nudges the first ball behind square for a single followed by five dot balls from Cottrell to Shankar.

After 23 overs,India 112/2 ( Virat Kohli (C) 35 , Vijay Shankar 9)

Two boundaries in the over for Shankar and that should get him going. He knows he needs runs under his belt. First one came with a cover drive as he put away the half-volley from Holder. The short delivery on last ball was flicked fine for another boundary.

FOUR! A fine tickle by Shankar to force the ball to the fine leg fence. The ball zipped back into him at hip-height from length by Holder

FOUR! Lovely shot. Half-volley on the off by Holder and Shankar comes forward to cream it through cover. Thomas had an opportunity at mid-off but he was quite clumsy

Players scoring 9000-plus runs batting at No.3 in ODIs:

Ricky Ponting 
Kumar Sangakkara 
Virat Kohli*

100-up for India, but they have lost Rahul. Shot selection again coming to the fore for Rahul. Straighter delivery from Holder, slightly jagging back in and Rahul tried to play a late flick to leg side. Bowled through the gate. Should have played with a straight bat but again closed the face late. Shot selection the problem, as he tried two things in one. Leaves India prone to further damage. Was motoring along fine with Kohli when the wicket came. Now pressure on Vijay Shankar. If India lose another wicket, especially Kohli, they are in deep trouble.

After 22 overs,India 104/2 ( Virat Kohli (C) 35 , Vijay Shankar 1)

Cottrell has been called back into attack. Surprised Kohli with a short ball as it took the top-edge but flew safely away from the fielder to the fence. Six off the over.

FOUR! Deep fine leg was quite squarer and that saved Kohli as the top-edge off his pull shot flew to the fence away from the fielder

After 21 overs,India 98/2 ( Virat Kohli (C) 30 , Vijay Shankar 0)

Holder has been awarded for his brilliant spell with a wicket. No fifty for Rahul and the partnership has been broken. Holder got the length ball to nip back in as Rahul was caught in two minds, leaning forward tentatively and the ball went through the bat and pad gap to rattle the stumps. Rahul could have got off the strike on the previous ball but good fielding by Allen on off forced him to stay back. And that shows the importance of good fielding. Vijay Shankar is the new batsman.

OUT! Rahul b Holder 48(64)

Beautiful delivery by Holder to clean up Rahul. The ball nipped back from length to clip the top of the stumps. So, no fifty for Rahul, who was caught at the crease and moved forward tentatively.

After 20 overs,India 97/1 ( KL Rahul 48 , Virat Kohli (C) 29)

Gayle makes a diving save at short third man with crowd showering loud applause. The veteran waves across to acknowledge the support. A four to finish the over as Rahul paddle-swept the legside ball to fine leg fence. Eight off the over.

Look, who has joined the debate!

What happened?? What have I missed?

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) June 27, 2019

FOUR! Well played by Rahul. He went down as soon as he spotted a quicker delivery from Allen on leg to paddle-sweep to the fence

After 19 overs,India 89/1 ( KL Rahul 42 , Virat Kohli (C) 27)

Another tight over for Holder with just two runs as Kohli tucked the length ball to square leg. 10 came from the last over. Windies need to curtail runs from both ends to build pressure.

Virat Kohli has scored four centuries out of his last six ODI innings against West Indies before today.

After 18 overs,India 87/1 ( KL Rahul 42 , Virat Kohli (C) 25)

Another cracking shot by Rahul as Allen continues. Waited deep in the crease to cut the short and wide delivery past the backward point fielder for a boundary. 10 off the over.

West Indies already look to be trying to establish a holding pattern. Only three overs from Cottrell and three from Thomas, who have been so important early for West Indies so far this series. Cottrell has excelled at picking up openers and top-order batsmen early: Imam-ul-Haq for Pakistan, David Warner for Australia, Hashim Amla and Aiden Markram for South Africa, then against New Zealand it was Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson. He hasn’t got an early wicket today, but he hasn’t had much chance.

FOUR! Brilliant placement. Rahul sat back to cut the short and wide delivery past the backward point for a boundary

Kohli now batting in his proper ODI mode. Run, run, run and pick the odd boundary… run, run and run. Silently he is creeping up to 30 again. At the other end, Rahul has found his groove. Looking much more confident than even perhaps the Pakistan knock here. Having said that, shot selection is his biggest issue. At times, he tried to do too much. That is something he will have to watch out again and make it count for a big one.

After 17 overs,India 77/1 ( KL Rahul 36 , Virat Kohli (C) 21)

Holder’s run of maiden overs has been broken by a stylish straight drive by Rahul as four more runs were added to India’s tally. Five off the over.

FOUR! Lovely straight drive. Fuller delivery from Holder has been crashed down the ground towards long-on by Rahul

After 16 overs,India 72/1 ( KL Rahul 31 , Virat Kohli (C) 21)

Five off the over. Rahul found a boundary at third man as the outside edge off his cover drive ran past the slip fielder. Time for drinks break.

Captain to captain, with Holder bowling to Kohli. This is a very different Jason Holder to the one we saw in the previous World Cup in 2015. That time around he was lined up by AB de Villiers, going for 64 runs from two overs at one point while South Africa charged past 400. Holder had a trial by fire, being made West Indies captain at a very young age and trying to pull a dysfunctional and limited team together. But despite their modest returns, they seem like a much more settled bunch of players now under his leadership. He’s done a fine job, and has turned himself into one of the world’s best all-rounders at the same time.

FOUR! Rahul went for a hard slash with Allen tossing it up on off but the ball took the outside edge past the slip fielder to third man fence

After 15 overs,India 67/1 ( KL Rahul 26 , Virat Kohli (C) 21)

Holder has bowled two overs so far and both of them have been a maiden. Indian batsmen showing a lot of respect to Windies skipper. A lot to do with his tight line and length.

After 14 overs,India 67/1 ( KL Rahul 26 , Virat Kohli (C) 21)

Allen continues. Misfield by Holder at short mid-wicket helped Rahul to collect first run of the over. Windies fielders need to back their bowlers on a difficult track. Five off the over.

After 13 overs,India 62/1 ( KL Rahul 25 , Virat Kohli (C) 17)

Skipper Jason Holder, right-arm pacer, comes into attack and bowls a maiden over which included a massive appeal for lbw against Rahul. But the impact as outside off. Also, replays showed the ball would have gone over the stumps.

After 12 overs,India 62/1 ( KL Rahul 25 , Virat Kohli (C) 17)

Fabian Allen, left-arm spinner, has been called into attack. Kohli gets a four on the last delivery as he went for playing a cut shot from close to the body. The outside edge ran past the slip fielder to the fence. Not much spin for now but Manjrekar is confident of more spin on this track. Six off the over.

Almost a run-out in the previous game against Afghanistan. Almost a run-out here in Manchester. Rahul involved in both mix-ups. At times, when there is a change in the batting line-up which you are not used to, running between the wickets becomes a stickler. Rahul still trying to get his calling right. Good thing is it hasn’t cost India. Neither of the run-out chances transformed into a wicket. Hopefully Rahul will find his bearings soon. 50-up for India meanwhile and Virat Kohli has begun in ominous fashion.

FOUR! Thick outside edge, as Kohli throws his bat on the outside off delivery by Allen, and it runs past the slip fielder

After 11 overs,India 56/1 ( KL Rahul 24 , Virat Kohli (C) 12)

The short ball ploy is not working today. It’s not going to work on this track. Not against Indian batsmen who have got better at playing short deliveries. An outside off short delivery by Thomas is crashed up and over cover by Kohli for a four to bring up India’s 50. Rahul drives the fuller delivery through the same area to add another boundary. Bit of a mixup on last ball but Kohli is safe. Nine off the over.

FOUR! After a short ball, the full ball has been put away through cover. This time by Rahul who finds the gap on off

Well, that might have been a very close decision on the Rohit caught-behind referral, but one person who didn’t have any doubts was Kemar Roach. He went up in a huge celebration-appeal as though assuming it would be out. Then when the decision wasn’t forthcoming he immediately gestured that his team should review the call, and then ran straight up to the wicketkeeper Shai Hope and gave him a high ten. There was no doubt in Roach’s mind whatsoever.