India claim their 13th consecutive ODI series win against WI
What's the story
India thrashed West Indies in the 3rd ODI in Trinidad. They successfully defended 351 as the hosts perished for 151.
It was a concerted bowling effort from the Indian bowlers, with Mukesh Kumar and Shardul Thakur sharing seven wickets.
Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, and Hardik Pandya slammed half-centuries.
India sealed the three-ODI series 2-1, having claimed their biggest win in WI.
Match
How did the match pan out?
Ishan and Gill shared a 143-run stand after WI elected to field. Samson smashed a quickfire 51 thereafter.
Suryakumar Yadav scored 35, while Hardik's unbeaten 70 propelled India past 350.
WI lost their first three wickets to Mukesh for 17 runs. Although Alick Athanaze struck, WI suffered a collapse.
Alzarri Joseph and Gudakesh Motie batted well but to no avail. Shardul took four wickets.
Gill
Gill slams his sixth ODI fifty
Gill and Ishan negotiated the West Indian seamers in the first few overs before launching their counter-attack.
While the latter accelerated, Gill was watchful and brought up his fifty in the 18th over. Gill continued to capitalize even after losing Ishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
The Indian opener finally departed for 85 off 92 balls (11 fours).
Ishan
Fifty in third successive ODIs
Ishan smashed 64-ball 77, a knock laced with 8 fours and 3 sixes. It was his sixth ODI fifty.
Ishan scored a half-century in each of the three ODIs against West Indies. His scores in the three-ODI series read 77, 55, and 52.
Ishan slammed a total of 184 runs in the series at an incredible average of 61.33. His strike rate read 111.52.
Record
Ishan joins this elite club
Ishan has become the sixth Indian batter to record a 50+ score in every match of a bilateral three-ODI series. He joins Shreyas Iyer (62, 52, and 103 against New Zealand, 2020), the last Indian batter to achieve this feat.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth (vs SL, 1982), Dilip Vengsarkar (vs SL, 1985), Mohammad Azharuddin (vs SL, 1993), and MS Dhoni (vs Aus, 2019) are the others.
Partnership
India's highest opening partnership in WI (ODIs)
Ishan and Gill added 143 runs together, now the highest opening partnership for India in West Indies.
The duo went past Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane, who shared a 132-run opening stand for India in Port of Spain in 2017.
A look at India's opening partnerships in ODIs this year: 143, 33, 95, 60, 72, 212, 5, 3, 65, 18, 90, and 143.
Samson
Samson plays a solid knock at number four
Samson came in at number four after India crossed the 150-run mark. He paired up with Gill and took India past 220.
Unlike Gill, Samson attacked right from ball one and went after the spinners. The latter hammered 4 sixes and 2 fours in his 41-ball 51.
Samson slammed his third half-century in ODI cricket and a second away from home.
Information
Samson's second-highest SR in an ODI
Samson had a strike rate of 124.4 in the 3rd ODI, his second-highest in an innings in the format. His highest strike rate in an ODI came against South Africa in 2022 (136.50).
Hardik
Hardik adds the finishing touch
Samson's exploits were followed by a captain's knock from Hardik. India's stand-in captain made a cautious start alongside Suryakumar.
The duo took India past 300. However, SKY departed after scoring a 30-ball 35.
Hardik did not let the scoring rate drop and smashed his 10th ODI half-century. He slammed an unbeaten 70(52) with the help of 4 fours and 5 sixes.
Information
Hardik's highest ODI score at number five
As per Opta, Hardik has slammed his highest score at number five in ODIs. Notably, the Indian all-rounder came to bat at this slot for only the second time since the 2019 World Cup.
Series
Another series win for India over WI
India continue their dominance over West Indies in ODI cricket.
The Men in Blue have won their 13th consecutive bilateral ODI series against the Caribbeans.
India last lost an ODI series to them in 2006 when WI won 4-1 at home.
Overall, India beat WI for the 49th time in the 50-over format. The two teams have locked horns 97 times.
Unadkat
Jaydev Unadkat returns to ODI cricket
Left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat made his comeback in ODI cricket after a decade.
His maiden ODI appearance came in 2013 when India faced the same opposition in Kochi.
Notably, Unadkat returned to the format after missing 192 ODIs, the second-most matches missed between two appearances for India.
Unadkat, who bowled in tight areas, took a solitary wicket in the series decider.
Information
India's biggest ODI win in WI
As mentioned, India have claimed their biggest win in ODIs in West Indies (by runs, 200). Their previous-biggest win in the Caribbean came in July 2022 when they beat WI by 119 runs in Port of Spain.
Numbers
A look at other notable numbers
India scored 351/5, the highest total for India without an individual 100 in ODIs. India's previous such total was 350/6 (versus Sri Lanka, 2005).
This is also India's highest total in West Indies as they surpassed 339/6 that came in 2009 in Kingston.
As per Cricbuzz, it was the seventh instance of four batters from the top-five scoring fifties for India in an ODI.