PUNE: Virat Kohli’s 38th ODI century was not enough for India to pull through as West Indies notched a 43-run win in Pune and leveled the five-match series 1-1. Marlon Samuels took three wickets in the last 10 overs, including that of Kohli, to lead West Indies’ late charge to a win. West Indies had made 283/9 batting first and India, in reply managed 240 in 47.4 overs.
India lost Rohit Sharma in the second over but Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan then stabilised the innings and chipped away at the target. The two put 79 runs for the second wicket and it seemed as if India may be cruising towards a second win in the series. But Dhawan was dismissed by Ashley Nurse in the 18th over of the match. Ambati Rayudu then shared a 47-run stand with the Indian skipper. While he dominated the spinners, he fell as soon as pace was introduced into the attack.
West Indies were anchored by a brilliant 95 from Shai Hope. While they lost their way in the middle overs, a late dash by Ashley Nurse helped them reach 283/9. He scored 40 off 22 balls and later went on to take two wickets. It was a performance that earned him a man of the match award.
The final ODI will be played on October 29 at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium.