Amit Mishra upstaged half-centuries from Lendl Simmons and Ramnaresh Sarwan, triggering a batting collapse with a career-best spell, as West Indies posted 240 for nine in the second One-day International against India on Wednesday.
Mishra captured four for 31 from his allotment of 10 overs, as the Windies collapsed dramatically from a comfortable 175 for two in the 36th before the hosts’ captain Darren Sammy added some end of innings runs with some lusty, lower-order hitting.
Munaf Patel bagged three for 35 from 10 overs, and Yusuf Pathan took two for 51 from eight overs to play their part in destabilising the West Indies’ batting. This followed three straight half-century stands at the top of the West Indies’ order, which featured Sarwan’s top score of 56 off 90 balls and Simmons’ 53 from 84 deliveries.
But five wickets – three to Mishra – fell for 22 in the space of 47 deliveries before Sammy struck one four and two sixes in 22 from 19 balls to drag West Indies to a respectable total. India’s new-ball pair of Praveen Kumar and Patel failed to make the early breakthrough, but Mishra had opener Kirk Edwards caught behind for 25 in the 13th over, leaving West Indies 57 for one. The Indians continued to find wickets hard to come, as Sarwan joined Simmons, and they added 67 for the second wicket.
A back-foot drive off Pathan for a single carried Simmons to his 50 from 76 balls, but the off-spinner had the West Indies opener stumped in the 27th over.
A short delivery from Kumar was pulled over mid-wicket to usher Sarwan to his 50 from 80 balls, but he miscued a pull at a high full toss from Patel, and was caught at deep backward square leg in the 41st over. The drama then began to unfold, when Mishra trapped Kieron Pollard lbw for a duck, getting down on one knee and trying to sweep in the 42nd over, and in his next over, the portly Indian leg-spinner struck twice. Mishra had Dwayne Bravo caught at long-off for eight, and bowled Carlton Baugh Jr for two to leave West Indies 197 for seven in the 44th over.
But India let West Indies off the hook, when Ravi Rampaul joined Sammy and they pushed the home team past their best total on home soil this season in a stand of 31 for the eighth wicket before Patel struck twice in his final over. The beanpole fast-medium bowler had Rampaul caught at mid-wicket for 14, and Devendra Bishoo caught behind for a duck.
India are unchanged, but West Indies brought Pollard into their line-up in place of compatriot Darren Bravo.
India lead the five-match series 1-0, following a four-wicket victory in the first ODI two days ago at the same venue.
