Raina reigns as India win

India 253 for 9 (Raina 66) beat West Indies 157 (Sharma 4-28) by 96 runs
Scorecard

India's captain Ambati Rayudu hits out

Suresh Raina top-scored with 66, while Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik contributed a pair of 40s, as India powered past West Indies to leave Group One of the Super League wide open, with all four teams having won one and lost one of their two matches.

India made an imposing total of 253 for 9, but were made to work hard for their runs after winning the toss and batting first. They lost two early wickets, one apiece to Mervin Matthew and Ravi Rampaul, who recently made his full international debut on last month's tour of South Africa, but Raina and Rakesh Solanki (33) revived the innings with a 51-run partnership for the third wicket. By the time India had reached 197 for 4 in the 42nd over, they were all set for a late rampage.

But three consecutive run-outs checked their progress, although No. 11 Rudrapa Singh cracked 10 from five balls to give the innings a late rush. Even so, an asking-rate of just over five an over was well within reason.

Singh, however, bowled Kirk Edwards for 1, before Gaurav Dhiman grabbed three wickets in four overs to leave West Indies teetering on 54 for 4. Assad Fudadin and Jonathan Augustus repaired the damage with a fifth-wicket stand of 63, but when Abhishek Sharma entered the attack the innings hit the rocks once again. He grabbed four quick wickets and Raina chipped in with a brace, as the tail subsided in a flurry of desperate strokes.

Rayudu, India's captain, was pleased with his team's allround performance, especially after losing by three runs to South Africa in their first match of the Super League. "The South Africa game was a wake-up call for us and we knew we had to win today," he said. "We didn't perform to our ability against South Africa but everyone played their part today. We worked hard for each other and it paid off."

West Indies' coach Clyde Butts said his batsmen were to blame for the defeat. "We started well with the ball and though they fought back in the second half of their innings I thought 253 was within our reach. Our batsmen did not perform as well as they can and they will have to do much better in two days time against South Africa if we are to qualify for the semi-finals.

"The passage to the next round is still open for us, all we have to do is win the match against South Africa."