WI vs IND, 1st ODI: Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav help India draw first blood, beat West Indies by five wickets

Ishan Kishan’s fourth ODI fifty and Kuldeep Yadav’s four-for helped India beat West Indies by five wickets in the first ODI in Barbados on Thursday. In a contest that could be dubbed one-sided despite India losing five wickets in a chase of just 115, seamer Mukesh Kumar made his ODI debut. While Kishan was picked over Sanju Samson for the keeper’s role, indicating what the team’s plan looks like in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Electing to bowl first after winning the toss, Hardik Pandya – returning to the India side for the first time since IPL 2023 final, bowled with the new ball and picked the big wicket of Kyle Mayers on two. Brendon King and Alick Athanaze stitched a 38-run stand before debutant Mukesh and Shardul Thakur dismissed both in the space of four balls.

Seasoned campaigners Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer tried saving the sinking ship but fell prey to the spin-bowling duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. After West Indies got reduced to 96 for five at one stage, it was about time before Kuldeep tore into their tail to return with figures of 4 for 6, while Jadeja picked three wickets for 37 runs.

For the hosts, Shai Hope was their highest-scorer, hitting 43 off 45 balls.

Meanwhile, India, for a change, didn’t send their regular openers in captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill and instead sent two off-field besties, Kishan and Gill. While Gill departed on seven after a shaky start, the new number three for this game, Suryakumar Yadav, came out to bat ahead of Virat Kohli.

The T20 specialist thumped a few boundaries but got out on 19, plumb in front of left-armer Gudakesh Motie. Pandya departed soon as Kishan completed his fourth ODI fifty, bringing India closer to the win.

The attacking batter became Motie’s second scalp of the day, while Yannic Cariah picked Thakur on just one to reduce India to 97 for five at one stage.

Rohit, perhaps for the first time in ODIs, came to bat at number seven and, with Jadeja (16 off 21), helped India win the match with five wickets in hand.

With this, India won their second of the three matches on Caribbean soil on this tour. 

The second One-Dayer will be played at the same venue on Saturday, July 29.