Dhoni gets a flat delivery and flashes a powerful cut through the covers to hit the winning runs
India vs West Indies, 3rd ODI at Kanpur, Nov 27 2013 - Ball by Ball Commentary
That is the end of India's home season. They go to South Africa, West Indies travel to New Zealand. Abhishek Purohit signing off. Goodbye.
Dhoni: "Once you win the toss and field, it is important to restrict the opponents. We bowled well, but were unlucky, some edges did not carry, there were lots of play-and-misses. 280 becomes quite a big score. I felt it was not a normal Kanpur wicket, it was much better to bat on. That is why 260 seemed just below a par score. If you compare the Australia series to the kind of death bowling we did today... even if we were missing the yorkers, it was not by much, they were ending up as low full tosses, that is a big improvement for us. Also the middle overs, the two spinners, and Raina, is a big positive. The openers gave a very good start, Virat has been in form, and we have finished well with the lower order."
Virat Kohli is the Man of the Series. Kohli: "Just trying to make the most of the sort of form I am in now. Trying to stay in the zone. Been coming off well, but the most important month for us is coming now in South Africa, so good to get a few runs before going there. I try to score as many as I can, staying in a nice happy space. We have scored a lot of runs, all of us that is why we are ODI No 1 right now. [South Africa] is a challenge, this team likes a challenge, I think we are good enough to stand up to it, and won't disappoint our fans."
Shikhar Dhawan is the Man of the Match. Dhawan: "It has been a great year for me. We usually play on these kind of tracks in Delhi and I am used to playing on them. I knew there would not be much bounce and the drives were on. Happy with my form, the team is doing great."
Dwayne Bravo: "We did very well [with the bat], Sammy played a fantastic innings, can't forget the innings of Samuels. We lost a few wickets. At 260, we should have given a better bowling effort. We did not start well [with the ball]. Simmons and I getting out at crucial times, we could have capitalised better. Chasing 280 instead of 260 could have been a different ball game."
Yuvraj: "I've been batting well but not getting enough runs. Shikhar was batting well so I thought I would spend some time in the middle. Wicket was a bit two paced at the start but it got easier as the game progressed. The runs are going to come, you have to make sure you are there at the tough times. Good to see Raina spending some time in the middle too. Virat and Rohit are doing very well. Very happy for Shikhar, he has scored lots of runs in domestic cricket, and has matured."
So West Indies much more competitive in the ODIs than they were in the Tests, but India winning in Kochi and Kanpur quite comfortably in the end. Importantly Yuvraj got some runs today, he scratched, he missed, he edged, but he also played some lovely shots, and didn't give it away
Santhana Krishnan: "One can say that the extra-ordinarily heavy dew was the only reason the West Indies won in Vizag. Otherwise it would have been a clean sweep for India."
Sagar: "Jadeja seems to be under the impression he's batting in the nets here."
The light's dropping in Kanpur now. Captains Bravo and Dhoni have a laugh about something
another strolled single as Dhoni keep strike with a tuck in front of square leg
his drive beats short extra cover's dive, but there is long off in place
almost played on, Jadeja tries to drive away from the body, gets a thick inside edge to pad
squeezes out this length ball to point
Keeper standing up
pushes to midwicket now
softly plays out a length ball to midwicket
JC: "@James: Tbh, a West Indian, Pakistani, English or NZ style collapse would do it for them. (Based on the last 12 months...)"
keeps the strike with a strolled single to wide long off
eases this length delivery to mid off
good length ball played out softly towards the slips
tries to cut one slanted across, is beaten
James: "West Indies need an England style collapse to win this game."
Jadeja winds up and slams this full delivery, straight to mid off
comes forward and defends a length ball to point
Couple of slips for Jadeja
pitched up outside off stump, Dhoni lets it go
pushed to mid off
somehow Dhoni does a shuffle, gets outside the line of this back of a length ball and squeezes it standing on one leg between the keeper and short fine
slower one comes in from outside off, left alone
on his toes to push a back of a length ball to point
a high full toss, seemed to slip out, Dhoni pushed it back to the bowler
Raina's gone, he moved forward for another big drive to a pitched up delivery, and thick-edged to the keeper