AHMEDABAD, India, CMC – West Indies’ two-decade wait for a series success on Indian soil continued here yesterday after another top order implosion rendered an otherwise straightforward run chase difficult, and sent them to a humbling 44-run defeat in the second One-Day International.
Opting to bowl first at the Narendra Modi Stadium, West Indies did well to limit the hosts to 237 for nine off their 50 overs, with seamers Odean Smith (2-29) and Alzarri Joseph (2-36) grabbing a couple of wickets apiece.
Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 64 from 83 balls while KL Rahul struck 49 off 48 deliveries, the pair putting on 91 for the fourth wicket to rescue India from a dodgy position of 43 for three in the 12th over.
In reply, Shai Hope (27) and Brandon King (18) posted 32 for the first wicket to lay the foundation before lively pacer Prasidh Krishna (4-12) crippled the innings with an outstanding spell, to send the Caribbean side crashing to 193 all out in 46 overs.
Elegant Shamarh Brooks arrived to lash a top score of 44 off 64 balls while Akeal Hosein chipped in with 34, but neither could halt West Indies’ slide toward their 13th defeat in their last 19 ODIs against India inside the last five 
years.
“[We lost it] definitely with the bat. We couldn’t build that partnership and we kept losing wickets in crucial times,” said Nicholas Pooran, who led the side in the absence of the injured Kieron Pollard.
“We lost the game at the end of the 39th over. As much as we lost wickets early up, the 39th over was very crucial for us with Fabian (Allen) and Akeal getting out.
“The more cricket we play together hopefully it helps us as batsmen. I think we need to continue to back our skills, continue to be aggressive and build our confidence.”
West Indies enjoyed a superb start when veteran seamer Kemar Roach removed captain Rohit Sharma for five to a catch at the wicket at the end of the third over, and Smith knocked over Rishabh Pant (18) and Virat Kohli (18) in the 12th over.
Pant holed out square leg, tugging a short ball from outside off while Kohli nicked a drive behind off a good length delivery.
Suryakumar steadied the innings, however, first in his half-century stand with Rahul before putting on a further 43 for the fifth wicket with Washington Sundar (24).
The 31-year-old Suryakumar struck five fours while Rahul belted four fours and two sixes before he was run out in the 30th over, hesitating over a second run.
Once Suryakumar top-edged a sweep at left-arm spinner Fabian Allen and was caught at fine leg in the 39th over, the India innings tailed away and they managed only 54 runs in the last ten overs while losing four wickets.
Needing to score at just over 4-½ runs per over, West Indies received a measured start from Hope and King before the latter wafted at a short, quick one from Man-of-the-Match Krishna and edged behind in the eighth over.
In Krishna’s very next over, left-hander Darren Bravo edged an uncertain defensive prod behind for one and Hope followed in the 17th over, holing out to long on off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
And West Indies were in free fall when Pooran edged Krishna to Rohit at slip in the 20th over and Jason Holder (2) top-edged a short delivery from new-ball pacer Shardul Thakur (2-41) to be caught at deep square at the end of the 22nd over.
Brooks led the fightback, however, hitting two fours and two sixes to inspire a 41-run, sixth wicket stand with Hosein who then added a further 42 for the seventh wicket with Allen (13).
Unflustered by his side’s predicament, Brooks appeared set for a half-century before chipping off-spinner Deepak Hooda to long on in the 31st over and Hosein carried the fight, striking three fours, before becoming one of two wickets to fall in the space of four balls with the score on 159.
Allen edged behind off a short ball from pacer Mohammed Siraj in the 39th and Hosein fended at a similar short ball from Thakur and was caught by wicketkeeper Pant running around to fly slip in the next over.
Smith provided a glimmer of hope when he belted two sixes in a 20-ball 24, posting 34 for the ninth wicket with Joseph (7 not out), but Krishna returned to wrap up the innings.
