India faced criticism for experimenting with their squad in the first two ODIs against the West Indies, with key players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli being rested. However, the team management decided to back the younger players for the decisive third ODI, and it turned out to be a masterstroke.
Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson put on impressive performances, scoring fluent half-centuries. Stand-in captain Hardik Pandya also found form, contributing an unbeaten 70 off just 55 balls. Suryakumar Yadav played a decent knock of 35, and India posted a formidable total of 351/5 in the first innings.\
WATCH – Sanju Samson Smashes Explosive Sixes And Sets The Tone From The Start
In response, the West Indies faltered early, losing wickets quickly. Mukesh Kumar, playing only his fifth international game, made an impact by dismissing key batsmen with the new ball. Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat further dented the hosts’ hopes, reducing them to 50/6 in the 14th over.
Although Yannick Cariah and Alick Athanaze attempted to delay the inevitable, their partnership could not change the outcome. Gudakesh Motie showed some resistance with an unbeaten 39, but the West Indies were bowled out for a mere 151. Shardul Thakur took four wickets, and Kuldeep Yadav claimed two, helping India secure a comprehensive 200-run victory and clinch the series 2-1.
ALSO READ: Ben Stokes Cheekily Replies To The Possibility of Bazballโs Success In India
India’s strategy to back their young talent paid off handsomely, and the series win will boost the confidence of the upcoming players ahead of the World Cup. The team management’s decision to experiment has provided valuable insights into the depth and potential of the Indian squad for future tournaments.
The victory garnered praise on Twitter, with fans and cricket enthusiasts celebrating India’s series win with jubilation.
๐ฎ๐ณ๐ Onto the T20s pic.twitter.com/G79gSJzanE
โ hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) August 2, 2023
Incredible batting performance by India after losing the toss in the series decider! ๐
Shubman Gill – 85(92)
Ishan Kishan – 77(64)
Hardik Pandya – 70*(52)
Sanju Samson – 51(41)
Suryakumar Yadav – 35(30)Well played lads! ๐๐#WIvsIND #IndianCricket #ShubmanGill pic.twitter.com/ZGdz0mypCw
โ MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) August 1, 2023
Much better batting show today from team India ๐๐ฝ๐ #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/lVZIgFZ9Ge
โ Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) August 1, 2023
Don’t know what exactly we ended up learning in this ODI series!
WI look awful and it seems they have given up with this format
Playing Deodhar Trophy would have been a better idea for match practiceSave WI cricket#WIvsIND
โ Naman๐๐ฅฐ (@NamanShah2607) August 2, 2023
My Favourite FRAME ๐๐โค๏ธโ๐ฅ
Ex Captain, Captain & Future Captain ๐ฏ๐ฅ#WIvsIND #ViratKohli #RohitSharma #HardikPandya #BCCI #IndianCricket #WIvsIND pic.twitter.com/5r3xiXkVVK
โ Areeba Khan๐ฎ๐ณ (@Areebakhan1325) August 2, 2023
Mukesh Kumar takes 3 wickets and helps India beat by 200 runs after Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Shubmann Gill and Hardik Pandya’s half centuries. People who trended SACK ROVID are no where to be seen now.
WE SUPPORT ROVID#WIvIND pic.twitter.com/i4gkmzLg9zโ Bala45Rohit (@Balasub13636272) August 2, 2023
“special thanks to Captain Rohit Sharma for valuable tips before mine batting , he is the true leader leading the team with great example” – Sanju Samson pic.twitter.com/pLHLbn96sU
โ ๐๐๐๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ณ (@RofiedAyush) August 1, 2023
