India's World Cup aspirants faced a major setback in their batting audition against West Indies. The bouncy track proved to be a challenge for the middle-order batters, and their inability to cope with the pace, bounce, and turn led to a dismal total of 181 in 40.5 overs during the rain-affected second ODI. Surprisingly, the decision to rest skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli backfired, raising questions about its rationale with only 10 months remaining before the main event.
Resting Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Backfires for India
In response, West Indies displayed impressive bowling performances from Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie. Shardul Thakur provided some resistance, but skipper Shai Hope (63 not out) and Keacy Carty (48 not out) formed an unbeaten partnership of 91 runs, securing a comfortable six-wicket victory for the home team. This win marked the end of West Indies' nine-match losing streak in bilateral series since December 2019.
The batting collapse was the primary cause of India's defeat, losing five wickets for just 23 runs after a promising opening stand of 90 runs between Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill. Kishan's performance was commendable with a half-century, enhancing his case for selection as the second wicketkeeper in the World Cup squad.
However, Sanju Samson and Axar Patel struggled against the West Indies bowlers' tactics, especially the short-ball strategy from Seales, Joseph, and Shepherd, and the spin generated by Motie and Cariah.
Middle-Order Collapse Costs India the Match
The Kensington Oval pitch once again favored the bowlers, and Kishan and Gill managed to score runs at a brisk pace for a brief period. Gill's dismissal while trying to loft Motie was crucial, and Kishan's aggressive shot selection cost him his wicket as well.
Stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya fell victim to the short balls, losing his patience and providing an easy catch to the fielder. Axar Patel also fell cheaply to Shepherd's unplayable delivery.
Sanju Samson's struggles against leg-spinners continued, and his dismissal to Cariah's leg-break further dampened India's hopes. His inclusion at No. 3 in the batting order didn't help his cause, as he won't have such an opportunity in the World Cup. It might have been more prudent to test him at No. 4 or No. 5, where he could replace Shreyas Iyer or take up the role of a keeper-batter if KL Rahul doesn't make the cut.
Suryakumar Yadav briefly showed some promise with a few boundaries, but his departure to Motie's delivery diminished India's chances of crossing the 200-run mark. Overall, India's batting woes and the impressive West Indies bowlers' performances were the deciding factors in the match.
