NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – West Indies were left facing a series decider in tomorrow’s final One-Day International after they muffed a tricky run chase to plunge to a 53-run loss in the second match at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground here Sunday.
Chasing 191 under lights after Player-of-the-Match Punam Raut’s 77 had marshalled the visitors’ innings, West Indies were stifled by India’s spin attack and crumbled for 138 in the 48th over, to leave the three-match series level at 1-1.
The hosts were making a fight of it at 78 for one at the half-way stage but declined swiftly, losing their last eight wickets for 60 runs, with opener Natasha McLean succumbing to injury in the 15th over and failing to return.
Shemaine Campbelle provided the main source of resistance with a top score of 39 while captain Stafanie Taylor got 20, but West Indies never quite found the momentum required to chase down their target.
India used their slow bowlers in the middle overs with telling effect as off-spinner Deepti Sharma (2-25), leg-spinner Poonam Yadav (2-26) and left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2-27) all picked up two wickets to hurt the run chase.
Raut had earlier set the tone for India, holding the innings together in knock requiring 128 deliveries and which included four fours.
Harmanpreet Kaur struck a breezy 52-ball 46 while captain Mithali Raj chipped in with 40 to engineer a recovery after the visitors found themselves slumping at 17 for two in the ninth over.
Fast bowler Aaliyah Alleyne (2-38) claimed Jemimah Rodrigues without scoring to a lofted drive to mid off in the third over before seamer Shabika Gajnabi got Priya Punia (5) to edge a slash behind in the ninth over.
However, Raut buckled down to post 66 for the second wicket with Raj before adding a further 93 for the third wicket with Kaur, before the innings stalled at the back end with both Raut and Kaur perishing in the space of seven deliveries with just two runs added.
West Indies endured a nervy start when Stacy-Ann King (6) was dropped twice before she had reached five, before finally missing a good length ball from seamer Shikha Pandey and losing her off stump in the fourth over.
McLean (15) pulled up lame after completing a run, leaving Campbelle and Taylor to complete a second wicket stand eventually worth 68 and which put West Indies in command of the game.
Campbelle faced 90 balls and counted two fours while Taylor struck two fours in her 31-ball innings before missing a sweep at Poonam Yadav at the end of the 25th over and falling lbw.
Chedean Nation followed four overs later for six, slapping a short ball from Poonam Yadav to Deepti Sharma at cover and when left-hander Kyshona Knight edged a cut at Deepti Sharma and was caught at the wicket, West Indies were losing their way at 96 for four in the 31st over. Sheneta Grimmond was unfortunate to be adjudged stumped off Gayakwad in the 32nd over for a first-ball ‘duck’ but the key wicket was that of Campbelle’s, the right-hander scooping a long hop from the same bowler to Raut at cover point in the 34th over.
